Responsibilities of all - all Australians have a civic duty to support those basic structures and principles of Australian society which guarantee us our freedom and equality and enable diversity in our society to flourish;.
Respect for each person - subject to the law, all Australians have the right to express their own culture and beliefs and have a reciprocal obligation to respect the right of others to do the same;.
Fairness for each person - all Australians are entitled to equality of treatment and opportunity. Social equity allows us all to contribute to the social, political and economic life of Australia, free from discrimination, including on the grounds of race, culture, religion, language, location, gender or place of birth; and.
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Benefits for all - all Australians benefit from productive diversity, that is, the significant cultural, social and economic dividends arising from the diversity of our population. Diversity works for all Australians.
Foreword.
In 1999, I announced the New Agenda for Multicultural Australia as a statement of the government's multicultural policy. Over three years on, the government remains committed to nurturing our inclusive society with its proud record of community harmony. This new statement reaffirms the government's commitment to promoting diversity, understanding and tolerance in all areas of endeavour. These actions are especially important given the tragic events of 11 September 2001 in the United States of America and 12 October 2002 in Bali and the changed global environment in which we live. All Australians, regardless of their ethnic, cultural or religious background are encouraged to participate fully in the wider Australian community to show a commitment to our nation, its democratic institutions and its laws.
I commend this renewed statement of our multicultural policy and encourage all Australians to join the government in ensuring that our diversity continues to be a unifying force for our nation.
