FOR MEDIA 16 MARCH 1990
I have today sent the attached letter to Mr Carl Harbaui
MBE, Chairperson of the Federation of Ethnic Communities'
Councils of Australñ Lz Inc.
0
PRIME MINISTER~ CANBERRA
16 lIAR 1990
Mr Carl Harbaum ME
Chairperson Federation of Ethnic Communities'
Councils of Australia Inc.
Floor
S541 George Street
WSYDNEY NSW 2000
Dear Carl
The Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia
( FECCA) recently issued a news release indicating the
priority issues for 1990 and seeking the views of political
parties. Outlined below are the policies of the Australian Labor
Party on each of those issues.
I should be grateful if you could bring this response to the
attention of your members, and advise themi accordingly.
aIssun 1. Preservation and enhancement of multiculturalism
Wi. e. equitable participation, fair go, fair share, fair say
for Australians froma ethnic backgrounds.
As I indicated forcefully when I launched the Labor
Government's policy on Immigration, Ethnic Affairs and
Mu. Lticulturalism on Thursday, my Government is totally
committed to the importance of multicultural policies
to manage our ethnic diversity in the best interest of
all Australians. It is for this reason that I launched
last year a National Agenda for a Multicultural
Australia with concrete initiatives funded at $ 89m. My
Government believes in ensuring that migrants are able
to participate equitably in our society as soon as
possible and for that reason is totally opposed to
Coalition plans to extend the length of residence
required for citizenship from two to four years.
Isang Ensuring all publicly funded services respect and
recognise Australia's culturally diverse population and
their organisations as integral part. of Australian
community services.
My Government is proud that In 1986 it implemented an
Access and Equity atrategy to ensure that all
Australians gain equal accss to culturally-appropriate.
services. Nearly all Government departments have now
produced their first Access and Equity plans and will
be obliged to report on their initiatives in their
Annual Reports. Some $ 2.9m over three years has been
set aside for initiatives in the areas of community
services and health, local government and consumer
education. Grants have been provided to ethnic
community organisations, including FECCA, to help
ensure that Government services and programs recognise
Australia's culturally diverse population.
Isue Giving equality of opportunity and protection from
all forms of discrimination to Australian women of
non-English speaking background.
Australian women of non-English speaking background
often face a double disadvantage in gaining equality of
opportunity. It is for that reason that my Government
established the Non-English Speaking Background Women's
Council in August 1989 and has recently increased its
annual budget by 25% to allow greater involvement by
community organisat ions.
~ us 4-Ensuring that Australians of non-English speaking
background have a more equitable share in training and
retraining opportunities.
In one of the Government's major decisions in the
multicultural area, we recently established at a cost
of $ 7 million over three years, the National Office of
Overseas Skills Recognition ( NOOSR) to ease the
accreditation of overseas experience and skills for
migrants. This year NOOSR expects to spend $ 2.2m on
bridging courses for 500 oversas-trained
professionals. -It has also ensured that training
opportunities have been equally available to
-6-non-English speaking background Australians and that
English language training has been provided as part of
the necessary retraining of our workforce.
1Zsmza Recognise, support and integrate the self-help
efforts of ethnic communities to provide for the specific
needs of their members, particularly the elderly.
My Government is fully committed to ensuring that the
elderly of ethnic communities are able to live in
dignity. In 1986 a four year $ 40 million package was
earmarked for residential care for ethnic older people
and this level of support has since been increased to
million.
16= 0_& L, The further development of the National Policy on
Languages with a clear priority on English for all,
community languages, wider availability of language
services. I am extremely proud of the fact that I introduced
Australia's first National Policy on Languages in 1987.
In my next term that policy will be further developed.
In particular the Fourth Hawke Government will continue
to support a balanced program of second language
teaching including community languages. It will also
establish a National Bureau of Language Services to
provide better interpreter and language services across
the nation.
18ant2a 7. giving the Special Broadcasting service its own
legislative base and charter adequate public funding; to
oppose commmrcialisation; to extend viewing areas.
My Government will provide the SES with its own
legislative base and charter committing it to
multicultural and multi-lingual broadcasting. At a
capital cost of $ 25 million SOS TV will be
progressively extended to the La Trobe Valley, Bendigo,
Ballarat, Darling Downs, Darwin, Spencer Gulf,
North-east Tasmania, Cairns and Townsville. A new
three-year initiative will, through the Public
Broadcasting Foundation, provide an extra $ 1.4 million
funding annually to SBS radio and public broadcasting
stations to establish a networked ethnic news and
current affairs service to serve ethnic communities
both in the cities and rural area.
-lawje. L.. Maintaining the Office of Multicultural Affairs to
advise the Prime Minister directly and be responsible to
him. The Hawke Labor Government set up the Office of
Multicultural Affairs ( OMA) in 1987. The Office has
justified its creation in the most comprehensive and
convincing way and will remain in my Department and
report directly to me.
œ aSSze.. 9-Ensuring the continued existence of the Human
Rights and Equal opportunity Commission in particular its
services to non-English speaking background Australians in
the area of Human and Legal Rights.
we are opposed to Coalition plans to abolish the
Commission. Under Labor the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission will be maintained as an
independent statutory body. It has played an important
role for non-English speaking background Australians.
Its National Enquiry into Racist Violence will underpin
the Governent's commitment of 85.7 million for
improved commuunity relations to which, unfortunately,
the Coalition has expressed opposition.
I99110 -J10-Ensuring the continued existence of the Australia
Council and its programs for non-English speaking background
Australian artworkers and artists.
My Government will continue to support the Australia
0 Council and in particular its efforts to ensure equal
access for artists from non-English speaking background
grants. The Council has this year received a 6 per
cent increase in funding for its Arts for a
Multicultural Australia Program. it is deeply
regrettable that the opposition proposes to abolish the
Australia Council.
nsne_. L Tidying up the regulations of the Immigration Act
to ensure the rights of Australian citizens and residents
are not infringed.
My Government is committed to the overhaul of the
outdated Immigration Act and to the introduction of new
regulations designed to improve the fairness,
consistency and openness of the operation of migration
policy. To the extent that there remain unintended
consequences to the new regulations they will be
changed. Some 200,000 has recently been set aside to
establish a free advice service on the new regulations
at Migrant Resource Centres in our capital cities.
7su. 2, L Supporting a vigorous Immigration program which is
non-discriminatory in terms of race and creed, and which
gives clear and sensitive priority to family reunion and
huma~ nitarian grounds.
I am totally committed, no matter what the political
cost, to maintaining a non-discriminatory immigration
program. My Government will continue to ensure that
family reunion and refugee migration comprise the
largest portion of the intake. We are opposed to
Coalition plans to reduce the proportion of family
migrants.
u
L~ a~ AL.. Ensuring that the expenditure savings of
million forecast by the Coalition Parties' Economic Action
Plan must not disadvantage applicants under the Family
Reunion Program or special humanitarian programs.
My Government is totally opposed to slashing
million that might otherwise be spent on settlement
services. It is equally appalled at the Coalition'sa
proposal to prevent migrants having access to social
security and invalidity pensions and unemployment
benef its in their first year in Australia.
Lot me say in conclusion that I look forward to working with
FECCA, and other key ethnic organisations in my fourth term
as Prime Minister.
Together we can build a fair, just and tolerant Australia
for our children and grandchildren.
Yours sincerely
R J L Hawks