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Delivery E24BAlOED UM'iL DELIVEY
JJUTRALIA~
PRIME MINISTER
SPEECH BY THE PRIE NIN ISTER
Em_ glAL~ rCYLrlR~ Gt~~
NELBONE aBFEBRUARY 1987
IT GIVES ) M GREAT PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO RETURN THIS YRAR TO
THE OEEK FESTIVAL OF COBURO. FEW OF THE EVENTS I ATTEND
COULD XMAKE FEEL MORE AT H( U( THAN THIS FESTIVAL IN
BOUUI. I PARTICULARLY WELC( E-THE-OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND
A FUNCTION WHICH HAS BEEN ORGANISED BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE
GREEK ORTHODOX DIOCESE FOR THE REST OF THEIR CC3OKMnITY.
AS WE APPROACH TE BICMITDOIIAL YEAR IT IS PARTICULARLY
GRATIFYING TO NOTE THE GATHERING STRENGTH 0l ETHNIC
COMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Vl.. F. STXVAL&. WSCR. ALS Tm
PROVIDE AN OCCASION FOR PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURAL
. BACKGROUND'AND TO.-CC= TO A** GRZATEP AWAVIMMl~ G Or** TPHrP ' CMM
IDINTITY.
NY GOVIRNMENT WANTS TO ENCOURAGE AL CITIZES TO GAIN MAXIMUM
ENKFIT FRCK. TK. RICMSS OF TH CULTURAL DIVERSITY Or
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY AND TO PARTICIPATE TO THE FULL IN
AUSTRALIA'S CIVIC LIFE. ACCORVINGLY WE HAVE RACITL Y SET UP
AN OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS IN MY DEPARTMENT.
FROK TIE GOVEROP NT'S POINT OF VIEW, WULTICULTURALWI MEANS
EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THIS COMNTRY,
WHATEVER THEIR BACKGROUND, RACE, COLOUR OR CREED MAY BEt TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DEVELOPING COUNTRY AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO
ITS DEVELOPING IDENTITY.
ALONG WITH THAT* MULTI CULTURAL I NMANS EQUALITY OF TREATMINT
FOR ALL PBOPLE IN T91S COUNTRY, WHATEVE THE12 BACKGROUND,
WHEN IT COME TO TEN PROAS AND SERVICES OF GOVBMOID,. A
MAJOR PRIORITY FOR TE 0171CR 01 MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS WILL
BE THE TRANSLATIOC OF THE PRXMCIfLE5 OF MULTICUTURALISI INTO
PRACTICAL TERMS. THIS -MEANS INJECTINGTHOS
PRINCIPLES-INTO ODCISION MAKING PROCESSES AND IRT0ro PcfcIESW
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES NATION-WIDE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE-TO TAK THIS OPPORTUNITY-TO ADDRESS A FEW
WORDS TO TE YOUNG PEOPLE Or MY OWN ELECTORATE ABOUT MY
GOVERNENT' S YOUTH STRATEGY.
WHEN THE GOVZRININT CAME TO OFF! CX* WE WEWRX FACED'WI TB S UB
-CRISES-FOR MANY--YOUNG PEOPLZ-IN-THE -ARAS--OF-EDUCATImO,
EPLOYMENT, HOUSIG, -INCOK SUPPORT, DRUG ABUSE AND GENERALCCOMMMITY
SUPPORT SERVICES.
THE MAJOR THRUSTS OF OUR YOUTH_ STRATEGY ARE TO ENSURE
S THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAXIISE
THEIR LIFE CHANCES BY PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATION OR
TRAINING FOR AS LlW AS POSSIBLE
T1rAT SUPPORT ASSISTANCE I5 AVAILABLE TO THOSE MOST IN
NEED
TO THIS END MY GOVENMENT HAS DEVELOPED AN INTERAMTED PACKAGE
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YO( t PEOPLE. TE PACKAGE I NC& 3D A
NUMBER OF MAJOR INITIATIVES SCH AS
EDUCATIONAL AM VOCATIONAL TRAINING-PROVISIONS---
I I
DEVKLOPNENT OF A MORK RATIONAL SYSTEM( OF INCOKK SUPPORT
AIMED PAHICULARLY AT ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO
CONTINUX IN EDUCATION
THE NATI ONAL DRUG OFFENS IVE, CREATING GRZATKR AWARENESS
AND MORK EFFECTIVE ACTION TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM
DEVELOPING A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CCMUNITY SERVICE BY TROSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WOULD~
OTHERWISE DR UNABLE TO FIND A MRANINGYUL ROLE IN OUR
COMUNITY.
IN EACH ELEMENT OF THE STRATEGY, PARTICULAR ATTENTION HAS
BEEN CIVEN TO IM9PROVING THE SITUATION OF THOSE MOST IN NEED
WITHIN TgR C016MJITY, INCLUDING MIGRANTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
FRK ON G-ENGLI SE . SPEtAlNO. BACKGROUNDS. IN 1986 TER
GOVIRIOIEN DEVELOPED GUIDELINES ON ' ACCESS AND EQUITY' FOR
MG2ANTS IN THE DELIVERY OF ALL ITS SERVI1CES -AND PROGRAXS.
THE GOVXRN= XDT WILL BE ENSURING THAT THESE GUIDELINES ARE
OBSERVED IN-THE -INPLE) mITATION OF -ITS. YOUTHE STRATEGY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DRAW ATKkfIIK TO THE FACT THAT THROUGH
THE OFFICE OF YOUT7H AFFAIRS, THE FEDERATION OF ETHNIC
C( OIUNITY COUNCILS OF AUSTRLIUA HAS AGAIN BEEN FUNDED THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR TO SUPPO2T A YOUTH WORKER TO RUN ITS NATIONAL
ETHNIC YOUTH PROGRAM.
THE9SE KINDS OF INITIATIVES BY GOVERNKENT ONLY WAZE SENSE IF
THEY ARE FOUNDED UPON THE REALITY OF STRONG AND VIABLE
CCDXiNITIES AND CULTURAL GROUPS.. I AN PARTICULARLY PLEASED
TO OFFICIATE HERR AS YOUR GUEST OF HONOUR BECAUSE I RECOGNISE
TEAT EVENTS SUCH AS THESE PROVIDE THE LIFE BLOOD 0f
AUSTRALIA'S SOCIAL FABRIC.