PRIME MINISTER
ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP TO
THE FEDERA! Z; ON OF ETHNIC COMM4UNITY COUNCILS
SYDNEY, 12 AUGUST 1992
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very grateful for the opportunity to address so many
distinguished members of the Australian community tonight.
It is something that I have looked forward to since I became
Prime Minister.
I want to particularly thank the Federation of Ethnic
Communities Councils of Australia and the New South Wales
Ethnic Community quncil for organising this occasion, and
Carl Harbaum. and Edna AcGill for their involvement.
Ladies and gentlemen
Like most Australians I have spent a small part of the last
three weeks watching, listening to, or reading about the
Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Amid all the drama, the thought occurred to me more than
once that what the world achieves every four years Australia
achieves every day which is a quite extraordinary measure
of cultural diversity and tolerance.
If we were inspired by the scenes in Barcelona, perhaps we
can also draw a little inspiration from our achievement
here. The economic troubles we are going through along with the
rest of the world are cause for grave concern.
But we have made social advances in Australia superior to
virtually anywhere else in the rest of the world,-and we.
should take pride in them, value them, preserve them.
The rich, diverse and tolerant society Australia's
multculura policies have produced is among the greatest
of these advances advances which many other countries envy
and admire. 1223
And you can be sure the Government will preserve and improve
upon that society.
Perhaps the most moving and symbolic moment in Barcelona
occurred at the end of the women's 10,000 metres: when we
saw the embrace between the Ethiopian winner and the South
African who finished second.
This seemed to me more than an advertisement for the
transcending capacity of sport to bring people together.
It was a reminder, in a technocratic era when the icons of
success are predominantly economic, that the greatest
aspiration of humanity and of any society is to live
together in peace.
It is also, then, a reminder of how well we have done this
in Australia.
A reminder that we should, in no small way, measure our
success in these terms.
And, perhaps, count the fact that we live in a society
relatively free of ethnic strife as one of the great
blessings of being an Australian.
Pe ter Robinson made the point very well a couple of weeks
ago In-i7t1cle in the Financial Review.
It was an article against the nihilism which many
Australians, including young Australianis, these days
frequently express.
Comparing Australia to other countries around the world, he
pointed out the rare privileges of living here.
And he stressed the degree to which these privileges depend
on the spirit of the people.
" Nations are not created, evolved or fully represented by
governments", he wrote. They spring from, and grow because
of, their people's sense of community".
On the other side of the world, in an article appearing in
the New York Review of Books, the President of
Czechoslovakia, recently made a remarkably similar point.
In re-building his nation, he said, it will be essential to
develop among the people a sense of confidence and pride, a
feeling of " co-responsibilty for public affairs".
He stressed how much his hopes depended on " what we
understand as the human spirit".
1224
I might say that increasingly I feel that Australia's future
as a nation depends in large part on these same things.
I have been stressing them not just in talking about the
organisation of government, but in cultural policy, where we
are attempting to put questions of Australia's cultural
development in the mainstream of national development:
in Aboriainal affairs, where we are attempting to make
this the decade of breakthrough so that we might all
feel more pride and confidence as Australians:
in various aspects of socialpol * icy, in industrial
relatipns, in policies for Australian wompn and in
eiducation where we have increased participation rates
and set up aNational Training Authority to provide for
all our young peopleand
not least in economic policy where our efforts are
aimed at a truly national effort involving all
Australians in recovery and growth.
This is the idea of One Nation.
It applies also, of course, to our multicultural policies.
For ethnic communities give much and have much to give, to
our economic, social and cultural goals.
They have always given much of course.
Imigation is the central fact of this country's history
it's how we all got here. All those who arrived in the last
two hundred years at least.
It has been the source of our energy in the frontier eras
of pastoralism and mining, in industrial and postindustrial
Australia. I need not reel off the names of
Australia's most successful entrepreneurs past and present
to make the point to this audience.
Nor need I mention the outstanding professional people, the
writers, artists and performers, the sportsmen and women,
and no less those vast numbers who invested not only their
labour but their life in Australia and gave it life in
doing so.
The waves of post-war immigrants have helped Australia
define itself' helped u -s see -ourselves, raised our selfawareness,
made it easier for us to judge what to build on
and what to change.
In this way they have made Australia much more dynamic. 1225
4
And of course, each wave of immigrants has invested
Australia with new ambitions, new skills, new energy.
And, of course, new cultures, new ways of living, new ideas.
So Australia has been made stronger, richer in every sense,
more worldly and outward-looking and, because Australians
have trusted to their. faith in the principles of fairness
and democracy, they have also been made more tolerant.
A better country without doubt.
There are some . who say that Australia cannot be strong
because of our cultural diversity.
The Leader of the Opposition is one of them.
Dr Hewson says that our multicultural policies are " the
politics of division."
The innovative and compassionate policies which have
produced a society remarkable among the nations of the world
for both diversity and peace he sees as " absolutely a
fundamental mistake."
All we do", he says, " is elevate a few professional
ethnics." I say he is wrong.
Australia is no less one nation for the diversity of its
heritage, than is a house less stable and strong for the*
diversity of the crafts and materials which go into building
it. The trick is to work from a few sound principles, while
allowing enough flexibility to solve problems and encourage
innovation. Those principles have been given expression in the
multicultural policies of the last decade the ones which
Dr Hewson describes as " absolutely a fundamental mistake"
I said that one of those principles is tolerance. ' In the
last forty years or so Australians have much ' to be satisfied
with in this regard.
The country has been transformed -from an insular and
xenophobic society, to one widely admired in the world for
its openness.
With that openness has come perhaps an unexpected benefit
that is, more confidence and, I think, greater levels
of mature self-esteem.
1226
We need those things now. We will need them in the coming
years. They are essential components of success.
We will = QZ need some of the more negative perceptions which
can emerge.
I mean the belief, that our identity is derivative; or a
poorly knit patchwork of other identities, or one to be
hidden behind an imperial cloak for fear that we might be
exposed as second rate.
In otherw4ords we will want to obliterate the cultural
cringe . and with it both the servility and the jingoism
which have sometimes characterised our behaviour.
What we want to preserve and enhance is the sense that
Australia represents an opportunity to build something new,
something better.
It is from this that the lasting contributions to our
national life have come: from those who have said this
Australia is my home. This is where my loyalties lie.
So long as those basic principles are there, so long as the
common ambition is there, there will-always be strength in
our diversity.
It seems to me that just now Australia is rather like the
great port cities of old Europe and Asia which got their
material wealth from trade, but their greatness from being
at the cross-roads of cultures from the people and ideas
which flowed about them.
In the challenging and competitive world that we now live in
that we now face Australia, I believe, can draw strength
from the same human sources.
As I said before, tolerance will continue to be one of the
essential principles in this.
I think I should also say that tolerance is a two way
street. It is essential to a multicultural society to welcome
newcomers, accept and learn to enjoy difference.
It is equally essential to respect the traditions of the
Australian nation.
Australia is not a new place or a shallow one. It is one of
the oldest democracies in the world. Its political
institutions are a unique blend of the British, American,
European and home-grown Australian. 4227
Its traditions derive from hard and unique experience on
this continent and from battles in defence of it, as much
as they do from the varied cultures of the British Isles
or any of the other countries from which Australian settlers
have come.
These traditions deserve and must. receive respect. No
country taking itself seriously would demand less.
I think it is also true that just as the newer cultures of
Australia should enjoy tolerance and support, so should
those who see a threat to the old Australia in the emergence
of the new.
You will know that I believe in change when change is
necessary. You will know that I don't believe any group of
Australians can claim a monopoly on our past or on our
future.
But I also believe in maintaining the best traditions of the
culture from which I came.
The same principles which lead the Government to hold the
enhancement and preservation of social harmony as an
imperative, leads us to build on the old traditions as well
as the new.
Ladies and gentlemen
A little earlier I mentioned Australia's cosmopolitan
potential. I said that there is more than trade to any great city or
state. But there is nothing like trade to attract people. Nothing
like trade to give them energy and ideas. And there is
nothing like it to encourage liberty and to transcend
cultural differences.
Trade or let us say a healthy vibrant economy is the
surest guarantee of general prosperity, of healthy social
democracy, = nd of our multicultural society continulaig to
flourish. Just as it creates common ground between nations, it creates
common ground within them.
So when I say that our attention to the social and cultural.
concerns of Australiat are central ones, I do not for a
moment cease to regard the economy as the framework on which
all our hopes ultimately hang..
1228
My point has been that it is pointless and self-defeating to
separate our social ambitions from our economic ones.
And nowhere is this more clear, surely, than here in this
audience. Because, as I have said, it is people like yourselves and
those you represent who have done much to drive the economy.
And I believe it is becoming increasingly apparent that our
diverse and open society may well yield us economic benefits
we really did not expect.
The langu. ae skills of multicultural Australia, the personal
knowledge of other countries and their markets, the
international networks which so many Australians maintain,
all offer unique trading advantages.
There is quite clear evidence, for example, that the small
businesses of Asian Australians havebeen succeeding to an
unparalleled degree during the last few years, including the
recession. One reason is their ability to operate effectively in Asian
markets. Given that we have the same facilities of language and local
knowledge, there seems to be no reason why we cannot enjoy
more success in Middle Eastern and European especially
Central European markets.
The Government will be seeking to encourage these
advantages. They will be the focus of a special conference the Office of
Multicultural Affairs in my department will be co-sponsoring
in October this year.
In talking about the real and potential commercial
advantages which the ethnic communities have conferred on
Australia, you can be sure that the Government has not
forgotten its particular responsibilities to those
communities. I mean we must work to see that there are genuinely equal
opportunities for new and better jobs when they are
displaced by restructuring; that there is adequate English
language training as well as vocational training.
There is more than fairness involved in the discharge of
these responsibilities: there is the recognition of the need
to encourage talent and ambition and energy in the process
of restructuring. 1229
F 8
Migrant groups have been at the forefront of every major
industrial step we have taken in Australia.
Just as they were in the vanguard of the industrial readjustment
after the war and the sustained surge which
followed, so they will play a leading role in the restructured
economy of the nineties and beyond.
Ladies and gentlemen
Perhaps some of the things I have said tonight could be
interpreted as overly optimistic or complacent.
I do not mean to be. I do believe that there is much to be
proud of.
But there is also much to do.
The government is aware that the need to manage our diverse
society is not one which appreciably fades with time.
We need to go on taking those steps necessary to keep the
barriers down the difference flourishing but the barriers
between Australians down.
There are times when this is acutely necessary when, for
instance, overseas wars impact directly on Australian ethnic
groups. I take this opportunity to congratulate those communities
who have so ably done this over the years; most notably in
recent times during the Gulf War, and the tragedy now
occurring in Yugoslavia.
The Government acknowledges with gratitude and admiration
the restraint that has been shown.
There will always be times when specific communities are
under particular stress. The government will listen and do
what it can.
The more usual but no less necessary task is to listen on a
regular basis through formal consultations, like those
conducted by the Minister for Immigration and E * thnic
Affairs, Gerry Hand, and through channels like'-the Office of
Multicultural Affairs.
I say " listening" I mean " including".
I say " ethnic communities" I mean all Australians.
I mean what we do is part of this Labor Government's
commitment it's historic commitment to social
improvement, to social justice.
1230
Access and equity policies are an essential part of this.
They ensure equitable access to government programs and
services for all Australians regardless of their background.
Those who argue that multiculturalism divides the community
should consider the~ alternatives.
Providing programs which some Australians could not use at
all because of language or cultural barriers; or of
providing one set of programs for the majority community and
another for those whose backgrounds are not English speaking
these are divisive, these would create two classes of
Australians.-' The multicultural policies of the Government are intent upon
not creating ghettos strife, or special treatment, or
" professional ethnics".
They are intent on managing diversity for the good of every
individual and for the good of the country.
It is for these reasons that we have, for example, sought to
remove the barriers to participation in the media and the
arts through that uniquely Australian institution, the SBS
and more recently through traineeships designed to ensure
that young Australians of non-English speaking backgrounds
have a chance in the media.
We don't do these things to support particular cultures for
their own sake.
We do it to keep the barriers down.
As I said, we take the view that these policies are an
extension of our democratic traditions.
They require good faith on all sides.
For our part we stick to the principle that all Australians
have the right to express and enjoy their cultural identity
as they choose, provided they do not infringe the rights of
any other Australians.
It's as true for a recent arrival from Vietnam as it is for
an Austral-Celt from Bankstown with half a dozen generations
born here.
We expect all Australians to observe these rights and
liberties. Australian governments have also included in their
responsibilities, the provision of the basics for survival. 1231
Since the days of Arthur Caiwell the Australian immigration
policy has taken a share of the responsibility for
settlement after immnigration.
Today's government continues that tradition and, indeed,
through access and equity policies, extends it.
Our continuing success depends on that unspoken partnership
between Government and the community.
In this context I pay tribute to the work done by FECCA and
its many affiliates.
It has been an immensely useful task a crucial task to
bring together Australians from so many backgrounds, and to
foster among them a sense of belonging to this country.
So it is with pride, not complacency, that I address you
tonight.
Australia's immigration policy and its multicultural
policies have been one of the great undertakings of our
history, one of the great achievements.
Also, one of the great risks.
It involved trust in our people and our traditions to manage
the sort of diversity which in so many other countries has
led to tragedy.
Just in recent times look at Los Angeles, Bradford,
Saraj evo, Boipatong.
We have managed it. We are determined that we will continue
to manage it.
The pride comes not merely from the sense that we, the
Australian Government, has done well, or we the old Anglo
and Celtic Australians.
It comes in large part from seeing how well the peoples of
the world have done in Australia.
In that, as an Australian, I take great pleasure and pride.
The achievement of Australian governments, and ministers
like Gerry Hand, has been to match in imagination, ambition
and courage, the imagination, ambition and courage of the
people who have left their homes to come here.
They are the qualities we need now. Indeed they are the
qualities a nation always needs.
Tonight I am grateful for the opportunity to meet you, to
express my thoughts and feelings, and to pay tribute.
1232
It is a very appropriate time. All those great moments at
the Olympics could not disguise the fact of world events.
Events which make clear that working and living with
cultural difference is one of the great global challenges of
our time.
I do not believe it is overstating the case to say, then,
that--in Australia we have some lessons for the world.
Thank you. A' 1233