Ministerial forum on Multicultural Affairs – Communique 9 November

​​​​State and territory ministers from across Australia met at the Northern Territory Parliament House on Friday 3 November 2023 at the Ministerial Forum on Multicultural Affairs, to advance inter-governmental cooperation in support of Australia’s multicultural society. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Andrew Giles MP, chaired the Forum, which was co-hosted by the Hon. Ngaree Ah Kit MLA, Northern Territory Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

Minister Giles noted many Australians have been directly affected or impacted by ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict and are experiencing deep distress and pain. He stressed the importance of Australians coming together and striving for understanding and unity at this time. He commended the resilience of the Australian community, which is strengthened by our vibrant cultural diversity, which contributes to Australia’s modern and dynamic democratic society.

Minister Giles outlined the Australian Government’s social cohesion package to support Australian communities affected by the ongoing conflict, including a $25 million grant to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry to immediately improve safety at Jewish schools and pre-schools across Australia, and $25 million to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities to support a range of safety, security, mental health, cohesion and education objectives. Multicultural Affairs ministers provided updates on how their states and territories are supporting individuals and families in Australia who have been affected by the conflict and those killed and injured in both Israel and Gaza.

Ministers strongly condemned acts of violence and hatred, and agreed to urge communities to remain respectful and compassionate in the face of continuing conflict. They observed that Australians strongly value cultural diversity and want to feel safe and free in Australia to express who they are, including in relation to their faith and heritage. Ministers noted that communities are calling for governments to acknowledge the complexity of the Hamas-Israel conflict and deeply reflect on the tragic and unnecessary loss of civilian lives due to the conflict.

Ministers reinforced that there is no place in Australia for prejudice or hatred of any kind. To this end, they received a briefing from the Australian Human Rights Commission on the progress of the Australian Government’s National Anti-Racism Framework and implementation of a comprehensive national anti-racism strategy. Ministers noted the importance of the strategy and their collective support for its urgent prioritisation and close alignment with state and territory anti-racism efforts. Ministers committed to support the AHRC to swiftly progress its framework and identify concrete opportunities for multi-jurisdictional action.

The Forum was further briefed by Multicultural Framework Review Panel Chair Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO and Panel members, Ms Nyadol Nyuon OAM and Ms Christine Castley on the progress of the Review, which will be finalised by March 2024, and insights from consultations conducted across Australia. Ministers requested that the Review Panel consider placing specific emphasis on the need to actively centre and engage Australians in a national dialogue about racism, including its causes, effects and the lived experience of those regularly subjected to it.

Finally, the group was briefed by the Department of Home Affairs on the sustainability of language services and issues currently shaping the capacity of governments to provide high quality and timely in-language information to vulnerable communities. Ministers agreed to collaborate to better address challenges undermining the interpreting sector and secure equitable access for people with low English proficiency, noting that language services will be a key consideration of the Multicultural Framework Review. Ministers also requested that the Panel consider the alignment of language and culture policy inclusive of the needs of First Nations and Deaf and hard of hearing communities, to drive more effectively coordinated outcomes for all language services recipients.

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