Political misstep - Bipartisan Legacy at Risk: FECCA Urges Leaders to Stand Together on Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism in Australia, as we know it, was forged through strong bipartisan leadership, driven by figures like Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, who recognised that diversity is a national strength and not a political wedge. They didn’t agree on everything but they agreed multiculturalism is part of Australia’s future, not a political battleground.
For decades, this shared commitment has been one of the pillars of Australia’s success. It has never belonged to one side of politics; it has been a collective national vision.
That is why it is very troubling to see signs of one of the major parties walking away from this legacy. Turning multiculturalism into a partisan issue risk undermining decades of progress and weakening the social cohesion that Australians rely on and deeply value.
FECCA Chair Peter Doukas OAM states, “At a time of global uncertainty and rising incidents driven by hate in our community this is not just a political misstep – it is a failure of national responsibility.”
“It is a sad day when one of the major political parties who share in this heritage appears to be opting out of their own inheritance,” Mr Doukas added.
What is needed now is not a retreat from what is Australia’s strength, but strong renewed bipartisan leadership on the issues that matter most to Australia’s future.
Comments from Angus Taylor which suggest migrants from so-called ‘liberal democracies’ are more likely to adopt Australian values risk drawing a false and divisive line between communities. They imply that people from countries such as China or Vietnam are inherently less capable of belonging – an assumption that is not only unfounded but contradicted by Australia’s own experience.
Leaders such as Hieu Van Le AO, Dai Le, Sam Lim, Penny Wong, Sally Sitou and the late Tsebin Tchen demonstrate the opposite. Their service at the highest levels of public life reflects a deep commitment to Australia’s democratic values, institutions, and social fabric.
FECCA calls on our political leaders to lead with responsibility, by upholding the bipartisan legacy of multiculturalism and refusing to trade social cohesion for short-term political advantage.
“We need to build cohesion not dismantle it. Our leaders are legitimising racism,” stated Jill Morgan AM, Interim FECCA CEO.
Racism is abhorrent. FECCA stands with all communities affected by the harmful, divisive and racist rhetoric expressed by our politicians and reaffirms the need to urgently adopt the National Anti-Racism Framework.
The Framework makes 63 recommendations, including establishing a national anti-racism taskforce, creating a standalone Human Rights Act, and implementing a positive duty to eliminate racism across employers and businesses, the health and housing sectors.
FECCA calls on our political leaders to show national leadership by reaffirming their bipartisan commitment to multiculturalism and rejecting efforts to politicise the very foundation of Australia’s social cohesion.
