Mr LAURIE FERGUSON (Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services) (3:56 PM) —I present the Access and Equity report for 2006-08 and ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

Mr LAURIE FERGUSON —I am pleased to table the Access and Equity report for 2006-08. The Access and Equity strategy is coordinated by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. It encourages government programs and services to be responsive to the needs of all Australians, irrespective of place of birth, cultural or linguistic backgrounds or religious beliefs. Access and Equity reports on Australian government agencies’ performance in this field have been tabled in both houses since 1993. This report is the first to cover a two-year period, from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2008. It looks at achievements by all levels of government in assuring universal access to services and contains many examples of innovative policies and programs.

The report also focuses, more than previous reports, on community feedback to provide context and spell out persisting challenges for government in designing, developing and delivering effective, fair and responsive programs and services. The community has drawn attention to the need for service providers to use translating and interpreting services when required, the benefits of cultural awareness training for staff dealing directly with clients and the importance of cultural and language considerations in designing public awareness campaigns. The strategy complements the government’s social inclusion agenda, which aims to enable people to make choices about how they live in order to improve their life outcomes and wellbeing. It reflects an understanding that the ‘one size fits all’ approach does not always reach the most disadvantaged and that people may not benefit from government services when and as they should.

In periods of economic stress, it is important for Australians to recognise their responsibilities in being fair, respectful and inclusive of others, regardless of background, needs or circumstances. In this respect, government programs and services have a specific responsibility. They need to be effective in attaining the outcomes they seek for all Australians and they also need to provide leadership for the broader community. When times are tough, there is the temptation for people to look for someone to blame. People can turn on each other and exacerbate social divisions. As a community we need to resist any undermining of our social cohesion through unacceptable views gaining prominence, through simple analyses dominating and through scapegoating becoming the norm. Racial intolerance can fester, adding to the marginalisation of many already on the lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. Australia can rightfully be proud of its social resilience and relative immunity to racism, extremist politics and imported conflict. However, incidents such as the Cronulla riots and their aftermath, the violence at the Australian Tennis Open and those in Manly on Australia Day this year warn us against complacency.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the unhealthy social climate characterised by discrimination, racism and unfairness. They can lose the opportunities they need to develop and, combined with difficult financial circumstances for their families, this can entrench disadvantage and a sense of alienation which can taint their whole lives. Those already facing economic, educational or health disadvantages can have their ability to recover and gain self-reliance undermined through another layer of a social exclusion. We must all work to avoid any damage to the cohesion of our society which could be long-lasting, and would compromise our ability as a nation to recover from the economic downturn we face. Remedies applied later will also be more difficult and expensive to implement. Appropriate social policy initiatives represent a prudent investment in the country’s future.

The strategy is one of a range of cultural diversity programs which reinforce social cohesion. It builds on Australia’s strengths through effective government programs, it protects the most vulnerable, it helps to position our society to withstand some of the social distress that inevitably accompanies an economic downturn and it will help us to emerge at its end as quickly and as strongly as possible. Government agencies have a vital role in taking our nation forward, meeting the challenges we face and making the most of the opportunities—never more so than when times are difficult. They must give effect to government policies, share leadership responsibilities and deliver programs and services for all members of our society.

The Access and Equity report for 2006-08 highlights some of the achievements of the government agencies in this respect and areas where further improvements are required. I look forward to further contributions by government agencies working alongside the community and business sectors and all Australians to strengthen Australia as an inclusive and cohesive multicultural society.