SPEECH BY THE PRIME INISTER,
THE 0E. G. HITLA],
TO THE ITALIANCOMIITTEE OF COORDINATION
FOR THE LAUNCHING OF ITALIAN WEEK 1975
' ELBOURNE, SATURDAY, 31 AUGUST 197'!.
IT IS A RARE PLEASURE IN 1974 TO BE LAUNCHING ITALIAN
WEEK 1975. I WISH WE COULD PLAN POLITICAL EVENTS WITH THE.
SAME CERTAINTY. THIS IS THE FIRST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE
ITALIAN COMMUNITY I HAVE ATTENDED IN lIELBOURNE SINCE BECOMING
PRIME MINISTER, IT WILL CERTAINLY NOT BE THE LAST.
AUSTRALIANS NEED NO REMINDER OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE
ITALIAN COMMUNITY TO OUR SOCIETY. ACKNOWLEDGE IT. WE ARE
GRATEFUL FOR IT, IT IS IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, TO PROVIDE THE
FULLEST OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTACTS BETWEEN OLD AUSTRALIANS AND
THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY AND BETWEEN ITALY AND AUSTRALIA THEMSELVES
IN THE FIELDS OF ART, CULTURE, EDUCATION AND COMMERCE. ITALIAN
!' IEEK THEREFORE HAS A VALUABLE FUNCTION. THERE IS NO OTHER
COMPARABLE NATIONAL CELEBRATION IN THIS COUNTRY. IT IS
FITTING THAT WE SHOULD HONOUR THE LARGEST AND THE OLDEST OF THE
EUROPEAN MIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA. ' ITH THE EXCEPTION
OF THE BRITISH, NO MIGRANT IS MORE ACCEPTED, MORE RESPECTED OR
MORE ADMIRED THAN THE ITALIAN.
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AUSTRALIA'S LINKS WITH ITALY GO BACK TO THE BEGINNINGS
OF EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION ON THIS CONTINENT. THE FIRST ITALIANS
TO SET FOOT ON AUSTRALIAN SOIL MAY WELL HAVE BEEN ANTONIO PONTO
AND JAMES MARIO MlATRA, BOTH OF WHOM SAILED IN CAPTAIN COOK'S
' ENDEAVOUR;". IN 1793 THE TUSCAN MlARQUIS ALESSANDRO M'ALASPINA
LED AN EXPEDITION WHICH ENTERED BOTANY BAY, IN 1.352
GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI, THE GREAT ITALIAN PATRIOT AND FIGHTER
FOR THE UNIFICATION OF ITALY, IN COMMAND OF THE BRIG CARMEN'.
WEIGHED ANCHOR OFF TASMANIA. HE LATER WROTE NOSTALGICALLY
OF THE HAVEN OF PEACE AND BEAUTY HE FOUND THERE FAR FROM THE
TURMOIL OF EUROPE,
THE FIRST ITALIAN EMIGRANTS TO AUSTRALIA WERE ATTRACTED
BY THE GOLD DISCOVERIES OF THE 1350s, THROUGHOUT THE 1050S
AND 1360S A STEADY STREAM OF ITALIANS ARRIVED IN SOUTH EASTERN
AUSTRALIA, AND IN 1370 THE ITALIAN CONSUL IN " IELBOURNE ESTIMATED
THEIR NUMBER AT AROUND 1,0' 01. MOST WERE NORTHERN ITALIANS
FROM SONDRIO AND NEARBY PROVINCES OF LOMBARDY; SOME WERE FROM
PIEDMONT AND GENOA; A VERY FEW WERE FROM SOUTHERN ITALY AND
SICILY. MOST OF THE LOMBARDS WENT TO THE GOLD FIELDS AND SOME
K MADE THEIR FORTUNES IN WALHALLA AND HEPBURN. OTHERS LEFT THE
DIGGINGS TO BECOME FARMERS, OTHERS MOSTLY FROM GENOA, * iAPLES
AND SICILY, WORKED AS SAILORS AND STEVEDORES IN THE COASTAL
SHIPPING TRADE, OR AS FISHERMEN. 914 / 3
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AMONG THE VERY EARLY ARRIVALS WERE THE CHALK-FIGURINE
MAKERS FROM LUCCA AND THE VIGGIANESE STREET-MUSICIANS. THE
HISTORIAN F, LANCASTER JONES HAS POINTED OUT THAT TODAY THERE ARE
THREE GREAT CENTRES OF VIGGIANESE CULTURE VIGGIANO, IEW YORK
AND fIELBOURNE. HE HAS WRITTEN: " INTERESTINGLY ENOUGHT IT WAS
PROBABLY THESE MUSICIANS WHO PLAYED A PROGRAM OF ITALIAN MUSIC
AT THE INAUGURATION OF MELBOURNE'S DANTE ALIGHIERI SOCIETY IN
AUGUST 139E, A SHORT SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE FOUNDATION OF THE
PARENT SOCIETY IN ITALY, FOR IELBOURNE WAS THEN THE CULTURAL
CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA, AND ITALY THE CULTURAL CENTRE OF THE WORLD,
BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY THERE WERE 6,09 ITALIANS IN
AUSTRALIA, BETWEEN THE CENSUSES OF 1921 AND 1933 THE NUMBER OF
ITALIAN-BORN IN AUSTRALIA INCREASED THREE-FOLD TO MORE THAN
2C, 000. SINCE 1945, AS A RESULT OF LARGE-SCALE ITALIAN
IMMIGRATION, 165,000 ITALIANS HAVE BECOME AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS
AND THERE ARE TODAY WELL OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION
ITALIAN--BORN PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA.
AUSTRALIAN CITIES ABOUND IN EVIDENCE OF ITALIAN WORK AND
INFLUENCE. MUSIC WAS NURSED BY ITALIAN TEACHERS OF COMPOSITION,
INSTRUMENTS AND BEL CANTO; PERFORMERS, SINGERS, MAESTRI. FOUNDERS
OF SCHOOLS, AND OF CHAMBER AND SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRAS. ALBERTO
ZELMAN FOUNDED THE VICTORIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, PIETRO CECCHI
TAUGHT DAME NELLIE ! MELBA; VITELLI FOUNDED ALAN'S HOUSE OF ' IUSIC.
COUNT CARANDINI MADE A FAMOUS PRIMADONNA OF HIS TASMANIAN--BORN WIFI
MARY BURGESS, A RELATIVE OF SHELLEY. CLAUDIO ALCORSO, TILL RECENTI
CHAIRMAN OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPERA COMPANY, AND NOW A MEMBER OF THE
UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION, WAS KNIGHTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
ITALIAN REPUBLIC. ,/ 4
4
A LONG LINE OF ARTISTS EXTENDS FROM BRAMBILLA, A VERY
EARLY SETTLER, TO ANTONIO DATTILO-RUBBO, WHO FOR MANY YEARS
CONDUCTED ONE OF THE LEADING ART SCHOOLS IN SYDNEY AND WHO
TAUGHT, INFLUENCED AND ENCOURAGED A GENERATION OF PAINTERS.
MONTEFIERE WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES ACADEMY
OF ART IN 1371. WELL-KNOWN CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS INCLUDE
ERNESTO MURGO, A VICTORIAN SCULPTOR WITH HIS OWN ART GALLERY,
WHO LECTURES IN SCULPTURE AT THE MELBOURNE TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
FRANCO BELGIORNO-NJETTIS, AN ENGINEER WHO CAME TO AUSTRALIA
9 IN 1951, IS ALSO AN ARTIST AND SCULPTOR. THE TRANSFIELD
ENGINEERING GROUP, OF WHICH HE IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS, IS
O NOTED NOT ONLY FOR HEAVY STEEL CONSTRUCTION BUT FOR ITS PATRONAGE
OF THE ARTS. THE TRANSFIELD PRIZE HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS ONE
OF THE BEST-ENDOWED ART AWARDS IN AUSTRALIA. IN 1973 TRANSFIELD
SURPASSED ITS PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS WITH THE ORGANISATION OF THE
FIRST SYDNEY BIENNALE, HELD IN THE OPERA HlOUSE.
o CARLO CATANI CAME TO AUSTRALIA IN THE 1379s AND
AS CHIEF ENGINEER FOR THE VICTORIAN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WAS
O RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION OF THE ALEXANDRA GARDENS AND ST.
KILDA ROAD. THE CATANI TOWER OF ST. KILDA AND LAKE CATANI, ON
MOUNT BUFFALO, WERE NAMED AFTER HIM. ETTORE CHECCHI, A
CONTEMPORARY OF CATANI'S AND ALSO AN ENGINEER FOR THE VICTORIAN
GOVERNMENT, IS NOTED FOR HIS EXPLORATION OF THE UPPER NIURRAY AS
WELL AS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PLANNING OF THE IUME
RESERVOIR. THERE HAVE BEEN FAMOUS PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS LIKE
FIASCHI; SCIENTISTS LIKE THE ASTRONOMER BARACCHI; GREAT FAMILIES
SUCH AS THE CILENTOS. RAFFAELLE CARBONI, AN HISTORIAN AND EX-SCHO
TEACHER, WENT DOWN IN HISTOPY AS ONE OF THE MINERS' LEADERS AT THE
EUREKA STOCKADE IN 1854.
lORE RECENTLY, IN ADDITION TO THE SKILLS OF ITALIAN
IMMIGRANTS, WE HAVE HAD THE EXAMPLE OF TWO GREAT ITALIAN
ENTERPRISES WHOSE ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN A MODEL AND IN MANY
WAYS AN INSPIRATION FOR THE POLICIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT. I REFER TO ENTE NAZIONALE IDROCARBURI ( ElII) AND
THE INSTITUTO PER PA RICOSTRUZIONE INDUSTRIALE ( IRI).
WITH THEIR WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN MIND WE HAVE SOUGHT TO
EXTEND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION AND ESTABLISHED THE PETROLEUM AND MINERALS AUTHORITY,
ALL OF US KNOW WHAT ITALIAN MIGRANTS HAVE DONE FOR
AUSTRALIA THE BENEFITS AND SKILLS, THE VITALITY AND ENERGY
THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. ONLY RECENTLY, HOWEVER,
HAVE AUSTRALIANS FULLY ACCEPTED THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO
MIGRANTS AND RECOGNISED A DEEP AND CONTINUING OBLIGATION TO
THEM. RECENTLY THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT THERE SHOULD NO
LONGER BE A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION, FAR FROM
DOWNGRADING THE VALUE WE PLACE ON MIGRANTS OR IMMIGRATION,
THAT DECISION RECOGNISED THAT MIGRANTS MUST BE TREATED IN
EVERY WAY AS FULL AND EQUAL CITIZENS. IT HAS BEEN TOO EASY
IN THE PAST TO PUT MIGRANTS IN SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS, IN
SPECIAL CATEGORIES, AND SHUFFLE OFF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM
TO THE STATES OR TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. [ NOW AT LAST WE HAVE
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MIGRANT CITIZENS ARE AUSTRALIANS IN EVERY WAY,
AND THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES, THEIR DUTIES, THEIR PROBLEMS
AND THEIR NEEDS ARE NO DIFFERENT IN PRINCIPLE FROM THOSE OF
ANYONE ELSE.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE HAVE ABANDONED OUR CONCERN
FOR MIGRANTS. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE NO LONGER FEEL A SPECIAL
OBLIGATION TO THEM. No GOVERNMENT HAS DONE MORE FOR THEIR
HAPPINESS, THEIR SECURITY OR THEIR FUTURE THAN WE HAVE.
UNDER THE OLD ARRANGEMENTS IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A
RELATIVELY SMALL DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION TO DEAL ADEQUATELY WITH
SUCH DIVERSE MATTERS AS SETTLEMENT, WELFARE, EDUCATION, CITIZENSHIP
AND POPULATION. THE DEPARTMENT SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL
OR FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HANDLE THESE MATTERS. IT LACKED THE
POWER TO PERFORM MANY OF THESE FUNCTIONS ADEQUATELY. SOCIAL
SECURITY BENEFITS FOR MIGRANTS OR THE IN-SCHOOL EDUCATION OF
MIGRANT CHILDREN WERE ESSENTIALLY FUNCTIONS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
REMEMBER THAT BEFORE LABOR CAME TO POWER THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT ADOPTED A VERY LIMITED ROLE IN SUCH AREAS AS EDUCATION
AND URBAN AFFAIRS. IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SECURITY, ITS MAIN
TASK WAS TO GIVE OUT PENSIONS AND OTHER WELFARE BENEFITS.
IN ALL THESE AREAS THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S ROLE HAS NOW
CHANGED RADICALLY. IN EDUCATION WE ARE SEEKING TO ELIMINATE
AREAS OF DISADVANTAGE, . TO PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN, NOT JUST TO HAND OUT ARBITRARY PER CAPITA
PAYMENTS. IN SOCIAL SECURITY, THROUGH THE SOCIAL WVELFARE
COMMISSION AND THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE P LAN, WE ARE TRYING TO
ESTABLISH COMMUNITY WELFARE FACILITIES FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS. IN
SHORT WE HAVE BECOME AN INITIATOR, AN ACTIVIST IN THESE FIELDS
IN A WAY THAT NO PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ATTEMPTED.
s i i
5B
IT IS ONLY LOGICAL THAT, IN LINE WITH THIS EXPANDED
ROLE, MIGRANT AFFAIRS SHOULD COME WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE
RELEVANT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, IF THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION IS TO TACKLE GENUINELY THE PROBLEMS OF THE
DISADVANTAGED IN OUR SCHOOLS IT CANNOT IGNORE MIGRANT
EDUCATION, IF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE
SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION ARE TO RESTRUCTURE OUR WELFARE
SYSTEM EFFECTIVELY THEY CANNOT IGNORE THE WELFARE NEEDS OF
MIGRANTS, THE SOONER WE SEE MIGRANT NEEDS AS PART OF THE
OVERALL NEEDS OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, THE SOONER THOSE
NEEDS WILL BE MET BY THE BODIES WITH THE APPROPRIATE STAFF,
FACILITIES, FINANCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES,
THE GOVERNMENT'S EMPHASIS IS NOT ON MERE NUMBERS OF
MIGRANTS BUT ON THE WELFARE OF MIGRANTS. WE BELIEVE M'IGRANTS MUST
HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS ALL OTHER AUSTRALIANS TO LEAD A
FULL AND HAPPY LIFE AS FULL AND EQUAL CITIZENS, IN PARTICULAR
WE BELIEVE THE EMPHASIS IN AN IMMIGRATION PROGRAM SHOULD BE
ON THE REUNION OF FAMILIES, S/
THE MOST DRAMATIC RESULT OF OUR POLICIES HAS
BEEN TO CHECK THE FLOW OF' DISILLUSIONED AND DISAPPOINTED
MIGRANTS LEAVING AUSTRALIA, PLACING FAMILY REUNION FOR MIGRANTS
ABOVE MERE RECRUITING,, WE HAVE STOPPED THE MIGRANT DRIFT.
THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS WHO BECAME AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS IN 1973
INCREASED By 485 PER CENT OVER 1972, p AND THE NUMBER RETURNING
TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN DECLINED FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN NINE YEARS. THESE FIGURES ARE DEEPLY GRATIFYING TO THE GOVERNMENT.
THEY SHOW THAT WE ARE MAKING MIGRANTS HAPPIER AND MORE CONTENTED
CITIZENS, WITH WIDER OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE IN THE BENEFITS OF
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. IN EFFECT, WE ARE SAYING IT IS NOT THE
GOVERNMENT THAT SHOULD DECIDE WHO WILL COME To AUSTRALIA AS
MIGRANTS, BUT MIGRANTS THEMSELVES. IA NEW CITIZEN WHO HAS SETTLED
HAPPILY IN AUSTRALIA IS THE BEST PERSON TO RECOMMEND OTHERS TO
JOIN HIM. VIE ARE BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER, AND WE ARE
BUILDING UP OUR MIGRANT POPULATION ON THE ONLY PROPER BASIS
A BASIS OF HUMANITY AND COMPASSION.
THE AIM OF OUR'POLICIES IS TO PROMOTE THE SECURITY OF
MIGRANTS AND'REMOVE THE CAUSES OF NEEDLESS FEAR, FOR EVERY NEW
CITIZEN IN A NEW LAND THERE ARE NATURAL SOURCES OF ANXIETY.
THERE ARE LANGUAGE PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS OF LONELINESS, HOMESICKNESS
AND ISOLATION.. THERE ARE WORRIES ABOUT EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING.
THERE ARE UNFAMILIAR LAWS. THERE IS, PERHAPS, A FEAR OF
DEPORTATION. THERE IS A FEAR THAT HE MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO RETURN
TO THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH OR REJOIN HIS LOVED ONES IN OLD AGE.
THERE IS A FEAR THAT, IF HE DOES LEAVE AuSTRALIA, HE WILL BE
PENALISED FOR DOING SO THROUGH THE LOSS OF SOCIAL SERVICE ENTITLEMENT s. e t17
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THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS WORKED VIGOROUSLY TO
REMOVE THESE CAUSES OF FEAR. ', 1E HAVE M1ADE GREAT PROGRESS. ONE
OF OUR GREAT REFORMS HAS BEEN TO INTRODUCE THE PRINCIPLE OF
PORTABLE PENSION RIGHTS. UNDER LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE LABOR
GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA RECEIVING AGE AND INVALID PENSIONS,
INCLUDING WIVES'I OR WIDOWS I PENSIONS, ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE THOSE
IN ANY COUNTRY WHERE THEY CHOOSE TO LIVE. THE NEW LEGISLATION
IS BENEFITING AGED, INVALID AND WIDOWED MIGRANTS WHO WISH TO
RETURN TO THEIR FORMER HOMELANDS. IT APPLIES EQUALLY TO ALL
RECIPIENTS OF PENSIONS, INCLUDING THOSE BORN IN AUSTRALIA,
WHO WISH TO LIVE ABROAD.
IN MY POLICY SPEECH FOR THE LAST ELECTION I PROMISED
ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT REFORM FOR MIGRANTS. THE PRESENT
INCOME TAX LAW ALLOWS CONCESSIONAL DEDUCTIONS FOR DEPENDANTS
To AUSTRALIAN RESIDENT TAXPAYERS ONLY WHERE THE DEPENDANTS
ARE THEMSELVES RE SIDENT IN AUSTRALIA, IN THE CASE OF A MIGRANT
WHO COMES To AUSTRALIA INTENDING TO BRING HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN
OUT TO THIS COUNTRY AS SOON AS HE HAS MADE A HOME FOR THEM, A
PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS IS REGARDED AS A REASONABLE TIME FOR THE
WIFE AND CHILDREN TO JO'IN THE MIGRANT IN AUSTRALIA. IF HE
MAINTAINS THE FAMILY DURING THIS PERIOD INCOME TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR THE
DEPENDANTS ARE ALLOWABLE TO HIM.
HOWEVER, MIGRANTS WHO ARE MAINTAINING DEPENDENT
RELATIVES OVERSEAS WITH NO VIEW TO BRINGING THEM TO AUSTRALIA,
OR WHO MAY BE PREVENTED FROM BRINGING THEM To AUSTRALIA BY
RESTRICTIVE EMIGRATION POLICIES IN FORCE IN SOME COUNTRIES, ARE
UNABLE TO QUALIFY FOR A TAX DEDUCTION FOR DEPENDANTS. THE
GOVERNMENT WILL EXTEND THE PROVISIONS OF THE INCOME TAX LAWS
GOVERNING DEPENDANTS'I DEDUCTIONS TO ENTITLE PEOPLE IN THESE
SITUATIONS TO THE TAXATION ADVANTAGES AVAILABLE ALREADY TO
ALL OF US MAINTAINING DEPENDENT RELATIVES WHO RESIDE IN
AUSTRALIA. LABOR'S CONCERN. FOR MIGRANTS IS A CONTINUING CONCERN.
IT FLOWS FROM OUR WHOLE SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY, IT IS NOT SOMETHING
DISCOVERED ONLY AT ELECTION TIME.
W'E HAVE STANDARDISED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CITIZ7ENSHIP
SO THAT EVERY MIGRANT SEEKING AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP CAN DO SO
IRRESPECTIVE OF NATIONAL ORIGINS AND UNDER CONDITIONS APPLYING
EQUALLY TO ALL. THE PERIOD OF RESIDENCE IS NOW THREE YEARS
FOR EVERYONE. WE HAVE AMENDED THE CRIMES ACT SO THAT IT IS NO LONGER
POSSIBLE FOR AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS INCLUDING, OF COURSE,
NATURALIZED MIGRANTS TO BE DEPORTED, TASK FORCES HAVE BEEN
ESTABLISHED IN ALL STATE CAPITALS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST URGENT
SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS CONFRONTING MIGRANTS. EACH IS CHAIRED BY A
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND INCLUDES PEOPLE IN DAY-TO-DAY CONTACT
WITH MIGRANTS AND THEIR NEEDS,
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS SET UP A COMMUNITY ' RELAT IONS
COMMITTEE OF THE IMMIGRATION ADVISORY COUNCIL TO INQUIRE INTO
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MIGRANTS, EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANTS AND
THEIR USE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AUSTRALIA'S FIRST TELEPHONE SERVICE IN 20 LANGUAGES
HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE CAPITAL CITIES TO ANSWER EMERGENCY
PLEAS FOR HELP FROM MIGRANTS.
MiIGRANT EDUCATION CENTRES HAVE BEEN OPENED IN PERTH.,
BRISBANE, MELBOURNEj SYDNEY AND ADELAIDE.
BJY MEANS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLAN, THE
GOVERNMENT IS SEEKING TO INVOLVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN PLANNING
THEIR WELFARE SERVICES. THE PLAN HAS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR
ITALIAN MIGRANTS BECAUSE IT PROVIDES THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO
PARTICIPATE WITH OTHER AUSTRALIANS IN ESTABLISHING WELFARE
PRIORITIES AND LOCAL COMMUNITY NEEDS. TO HELP EXPLAIN THE PLAN
TO MIGRANTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY IS PREPARING AN
EXPLANATORY LEAFLET FO. R ITALIAN PEOPLE AND OTHER MIGRANT GROUPS.
HERE IS ONE SMALL BENEFIT THAT I KNOW WILL PLEASE MANY
OF YOU. YESTERDAY THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL ANNOUNCED THAT, FROM
TOMORROW, THE MINIMUM CHARGE FOR A 3-MINUTE TELEPHONE CALL
FROM AUSTRALIA TO ITALY WILL BE REDUCED FROM $ 1-~ TO $-D
6 p 10
I BELIEVE AUSTRALIA'S PRESENT IMMIGRATION POLICIES
ARE A RETURN TO THE HUMANITARIAN IDEALS THAT INSPIRED THE
MIGRATION PROGRAM NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO, lE ARE DETERMINED THAT
MEN AND WOMEN FROM OTHER NATIONS WHO HAVE SHOWN THEIR FAITH
IN AUSTRALIA WILL HAVE THAT FAITH REWARDED AND RESTORED,
MIGRANTS WILL BENEFIT AS MUCH AS OTHER AUSTRALIANS I REMIND
YOU THAT MIGRANTS WILL BENEFIT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE FROM THE
GOVERNMENT'S REFORMS IN HEALTHj HOUSINGi THE ENVIRONMENTj
THE CITIES AND EDUCATION ESPECIALLY EDUCATION, IT WILL
NO LONGER BE NECESSARY FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO RESIGN IN
PROTEST BECAUSE OF THE POOR CONDITIONS FOR MIGRANT EDUCATION
IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS,
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
MIGRANTS AND ESPECIALLY ITALIANS HAVE MADE TO AUSTRALIA'S
PROGRESS, I LOOK TO THEM TO HELP US BUILD A GREATER AUSTRALIA
FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE A MORE HUMANEj TOLERANT, JUST AND
BOUNTIFUL SOCIETY, WE ARE DETERMINED THAT MIGRANTS WILL
SHARE FULLY IN THE PRESENT PROSPERITY AND FUTURE PROMISE OF
THE NATION THEY HAVE DONE SO MUCH TO DEVELOP AND ENRICH,