In my role as chair of the Australian Multicultural Council, I provided a public submission (attached below) to the Inquiry titled “Issues facing diaspora communities in Australia” conducted by the Senate Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are as follows:

“To inquire into and report on: Issues facing diaspora communities in Australia, with particular reference to:
a. support offered to diaspora community associations and similar organisations, including government grants and other funding;
b. safety concerns among diaspora communities, and means for strengthening the protection and resilience of vulnerable groups;
c. barriers to the full participation of diaspora communities in Australia’s democratic and social institutions, and mechanisms for addressing these barriers;
d. opportunities to strengthen communication and partnerships between government and diaspora communities in Australia; and e. any related matters

On 15 October 2020 I appeared as a witness at the public hearing via teleconference. The following members were in attendance: Senators Abetz, Ayres, Fierravanti-Wells, Kitching, Rice.
Both the written submission and INTERNET Hansard transcripts of public hearings are made available on the internet when authorised by the committee. To search the parliamentary database, go to: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au SENATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE REFERENCES COMMITTEE Thursday, 15 October 2020.
An uncorrected proof of evidence taken before the committee on 15 October 2020 could be found at: https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/commsen/21e30a2e-a371-4dec-ab3f-b8bb44200019/toc_pdf/Foreign%20Affairs,%20Defence%20and%20Trade%20References%20Committee_2020_10_15_8200.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22committees/commsen/21e30a2e-a371-4dec-ab3f-b8bb44200019/0000%22

2020-07-28 Submission to Inquiry into issues facing diaspora communities