Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Planning) (12:36): I rise to advise the house of how our government is supporting our multicultural communities through this COVID-19 challenge. Issues of social isolation—access to language, health and welfare information—will be the highest priority for multicultural communities in the coming months. Widespread misinformation and unknown source of truth is deeply concerning to our multicultural communities. The multicultural portfolio, along with the Victorian Multicultural Commission, is briefing community and faith leaders to convey the government’s health message. The Victorian government is providing fact sheets in 15 languages, including obviously ways to reduce the risk of infection.

The multicultural affairs portfolio has provided grants to more than 190 multicultural events that have been scheduled between March and June 2020. Most of course will exceed the public gathering threshold and therefore will have to be cancelled, along with a number of events that we were hoping to celebrate in the last few days. I have asked my department to be proactive with event organisers to exercise flexibility with funding agreements to ensure community celebrations that are postponed will still be funded.

The Parliament of course will also note the Victorian government launched the Stronger Together campaign to show support for our Victorian Chinese community to combat some of the challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and to urge Victorians to continue to band together and support one another. These are testing times for our multicultural communities, and we as a Parliament, on a bipartisan basis, will continue to stand together with respect to work through this health crisis.