Wednesday, 3 December 2025

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (17:31): I am pleased to speak on the Victoria’s multicultural review report released in September of this year. This report found that now more than ever multicultural communities are turning to multicultural-led and multicultural-oriented organisations for support with cost of living, health and wellbeing and social connections. Among the recommendations of this report was the creation of a new statutory body called Multicultural Victoria to take over the Victorian Multicultural Commission, led by an independent chair called the multicultural affairs coordinator general, supported by two deputies. Frankly, these militaristic titles and top-down approaches are concerning. They suggest control and hierarchy rather than the collaborative community-driven approach that multicultural communities need. This is especially concerning given the report itself identifies an erosion of trust in government and its institutions.

While I welcome the government’s recognition of the important role that multicultural communities play socially, economically and culturally, there are serious concerns about its approach to action. The idea that shared values should be enforced through committing to a social cohesion commitment statement, which has now changed to the Victorian Values Statement, is outright absurd. Although the government claims this is not a punitive measure, it is undoubtedly framed around control and coercion. The requirement that grant funds will not be dispensed unless organisations applying for any grant pledge or commit to upholding social cohesion effectively places a compliance obligation on multicultural communities. This whole idea of social cohesion pledges was first touted last year at a press conference by the Premier with her usual kneejerk reactions to issues on which she has done little policy development. And can I add this was only targeted at multicultural communities. Once again, this is a carrot-and-stick approach that will not work in the long term.

My question is: why is the responsibility for social cohesion again being placed squarely on the shoulders of multicultural communities rather than being recognised as a shared responsibility of the government and all Victorians? Multicultural organisations should not be expected to carry the load or demonstrate social cohesion on behalf of the entire state.

The multicultural review report also highlighted the persistent rise in anti-Muslim hate, antisemitism and racism against black and brown communities. A major barrier to effectively addressing these issues, the report notes, is the lack of comprehensive data collection, which limits the government’s ability to make informed evidence-based decisions. Multicultural organisations have been sounding the alarm on this particular barrier for a long time across all domains. So my question calls on this government: where is the data collection? Why aren’t your departments collecting the data so you can document the gaps, barriers, issues and opportunities to make the system better and fairer? If this government is serious about protecting multicultural and multifaith communities, it must invest in resources to mandate data collection. How can it act effectively on the review’s findings if it does not have the evidence to show the extent of the problems communities are reporting? This includes working with other departments like the police, education, health and youth justice to ensure it truly is a whole-of-government response, meaning these departments should also be collecting appropriate data so we can see how racism hate is being experienced across all these domains by multicultural communities.

We all know that racism does not happen in a vacuum. It is very much alive and well. If you are not collecting the data, how can you adequately address the scale of the impact it has on marginalised people? Important recommendations from this report are 10 and 11, related to adequate funding for the anti-racism strategy and the government funding and coordinating a centralised whole-of-government data and evidence collection system for reported incidents of racism and hate crimes in the community. This system should gather information from sources including the Community Security Group, the Islamic Council of Victoria, Victoria Police, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and schools. The collected data should be used to guide investment and inform the design of place-based responses developed in genuine partnership with affected communities. Hate and racism are only escalating, and our communities deserve safety, inclusion and the right to live free from violence. This government needs to act now to ensure that there is racial justice for all.