State Budget and Multiculturalism

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-126082

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

State Budget and Multiculturalism

Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) (15:24:30):

My question is addressed to the Minister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Seniors. Will the Minister update the House on how the Liberals and The Nationals are building a brighter future for multicultural communities across New South Wales?

Mr MARK COURE (OatleyMinister for Multiculturalism, and Minister for Seniors) (15:25:01):

— I thank the member for Riverstone for his question and for his hard work in the electorate of Riverstone, particularly with multicultural communities.

The SPEAKER:

Order! I call the member for Tweed to order for the second time. He persists in talking.

Mr MARK COURE:

As members of this House know, this week marks Refugee Week. The theme is, of course, "Healing". It is a time to acknowledge the experiences of people from refugee backgrounds and the wonderful contributions that they make to our great State. More than 31,000 refugees have settled in New South Wales since 2016, all helping to make our rich multicultural society even richer. We on this side of the House value our multicultural society and the people that make it the strongest multicultural society in the world. Our biggest asset is our people. We are home to people from more than 300 different ancestries and cultures speaking more than 200 languages and practising over 144 religions. That is why we are investing $28 million in our future. Our announcement represents the single biggest budget allocation any government has provided to supporting our multicultural communities. It is a brighter future for New South Wales. We can do this because of our strong economic management. Some $16 million is going towards supporting our whole-of-government language services.

The SPEAKER:

Order! The member for Macquarie Fields will come to order. I call the member for Macquarie Fields to order for the first time.

Mr MARK COURE:

This will bolster our translation capabilities and ensure that vital information is accessible to everyone no matter the language they speak. This is an important announcement. It makes the Government more accessible to migrants across New South Wales.

The SPEAKER:

Order! I call the member for Macquarie Fields to order for the second time.

Mr MARK COURE:

We are also investing in a scholarship program, which will secure our State's translation and interpreting capabilities in the future. Some $10 million will go towards festivals and events to help communities proudly celebrate their culture and identities, and $2 million will go towards enhancing engagement with multicultural and multi‑faith communities. This funding will set us up for success in the future. Thanks to this investment, we will be able to build on all the good work that we have been doing to continue building a brighter future for New South Wales families and making New South Wales the most successful multicultural society not just in Australia but the world. Communities across New South Wales have backed and supported this announcement.