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‘Multiculturalism is who we are’: Anne Aly
Multicultural affairs minister Anne Aly was also on the ABC’s National Forum panel. She said Labor was committed to bringing immigration numbers down in a “manageable way” while ensuring the system both met the needs of Australia and was “fair for those who come here”.
That’s the Australia that I know. And I fear that that is the Australia that we’re losing … Every time we talk about immigration, multiculturalism, it comes from a deficit point of view.
Social cohesion becomes the burden of people from different countries who have come here and it is their fault, it is their responsibility to socially cohere. The fact is that multiculturalism is who we are. It is part of our identity. It’s who we are as Australia.
We haven’t seen her at all today. And this is someone who wants to be the prime minister of Australia. And she hasn’t had the courage to front the media today and explain the budgetary, the economic and the human impact of these policy changes that she’s suggesting.
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