A question about the benefits of “multiculturalism” in Australia has caused a stir on the ABC’s Q+A programme.
Audience member Jenny Carroll told the panel Monday night that her children were taught when they were in school in the 1990s that diversity is one of the nation’s greatest strengths.
However, the mother of two said she believes those descended from European settlers are now being “demonised” by people from other backgrounds.
“My children, now in their late 20s and early 30s, went to their local state public school and were taught that multiculturalism is a great thing,” Carroll said.
‘I don’t think so, because I feel that the culture of the original British and Irish majority has been constantly demonised over the last three decades.
“A good example is the frequent vandalism of monuments to Captain Cook. How does democracy fit into this atmosphere of beating up the white guy?”
Presenter Patricia Karvelas immediately passed the question to Federal Youth Minister Anne Aly (the first Muslim woman elected to federal parliament), prompting tense laughter from the audience.
Ms Aly was born in Egypt and moved to Australia with her parents as a child.
She strongly disagreed with Mrs. Carroll’s views on the controversial issue.
Jenny Carroll (pictured) said her children were “dictated” on multiculturalism by teachers and questioned how their upbringing made “democracy fit into this white-man-bashing atmosphere”.
“I know that multiculturalism does not exist. It is who we are. It is the character of our nation. And it is not a policy that has been imposed on anyone,” Ms. Aly began.
‘Look around you. We are multicultural. That’s what we are.’
Ms. Aly drew on her experience as an immigrant growing up in Australia to better explain her perspective to Ms. Carroll.
“I think multiculturalism has brought immense benefits,” he said.
‘I’m not talking about being able to have a little soy sauce on your sausage bun or being able to wear a sari or any of those things; I’m talking about democracy being more resilient and better when there are diverse ideas, diverse thoughts, diverse beliefs, diverse cultural backgrounds.
‘I don’t think we attack the white man as you might say, and maybe if we changed places for a day you might think differently, because I understand a lot of racism.
“I think if we swapped places and had the chance to put ourselves in each other’s shoes, maybe we’d think differently.”
Former Liberal Senator George Brandis was the next panellist to answer the question.
He was considered aA staunch advocate of multiculturalism during his time in Parliament.
Q&A host Patricia Karvelas (pictured) was taken aback by Boomer’s question and it is “a debate that is taking place all over the world.”
“But I don’t think it’s a question of either/or. I think we can accept that Australia is a multicultural society,” Brandis said.
“It’s not about whether we should be. We are. That’s the reality and it’s not going to change.
“We want to be the best multicultural society we can be.”
Mr Brandis said Australia’s British heritage should also not be disrespected.
“We owe many of the fundamental characteristics of Australian society to our British heritage and, rather than being ashamed of it, we should be proud of it,” he said.
‘I think we can see the good in all dimensions of Australian society.
‘To have reached the point we have reached now, where we are proud of our very, very ancient indigenous heritage.
“We are proud of our more modern British institutions that date back to 1788 and we are proud of the society that evolved from those institutions that both sides of politics have created in a joint effort and which I believe is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world.”
He told Ms. Carroll that he does not believe the antithesis implied in her question actually exists.
Ms Carroll clarified that she did not believe migration was to blame for her views, but rather a failure to come to terms with Australia’s complex colonial history.
“It’s just that we may not have reconciled ourselves enough with the Aborigines,” he said.
Youth Minister Anne Aly (pictured) drew on her own experiences as an immigrant to Australia.
‘I think that may be behind a lot of this, that we can’t really look at those kinds of heroes in our past and say, ‘Thank you for what you did.’
‘He was just doing a job, Captain James Cook. He was told to sail out and find the Great South Land.
“So if he is to be blamed, I think that is very wrong.”
Karvelas also weighed in by inviting English academic and podcaster David Runciman to share his views.
‘OhObviously, this is a debate that is taking place all over the world, in places that have been colonized,” he said.
“But there is a kind of rejection and there is tension.”