PM (John Howard) drops multiculturalism

news.com.au ^ | 23rd January 2007

[naturalman1975]

PRIME Minister John Howard officially scrapped multiculturalism today as he sacked Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone and renamed her old department.

The trouble-plagued Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) will now be known as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, with former Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews the new minister.

Mr Howard defended the change, saying Australians believed that immigration should lead to citizenship.

“I think the title of the new department expresses the desire and the aspiration, and that is that people who come to this country, who emigrate, immigrants, become Australians,” Mr Howard told reporters.

“That's what the Australian people want.

“This is not designed to kick multiculturalism, it's designed to better reflect the pathway to becoming an Australian inherent in a vibrant immigration program.”

Labor has two portfolios dealing with the area – immigration, integration and citizenship, held by Tony Burke, and multicultural affairs, held by Laurie Ferguson.

[NavVet]

Why don't they be totally honest and call it the Department of immigration and balkinization.

[Arnold Zephel]

From the most articles I have read about PM Howard, he is a man of principle.

I wish more of the leaders in the Republican Party were as principled as the honorable John Howard.

[Sprite518]

Good! He finally gets it! Bush could lean from this...

[Lancey Howard]

I agree. Every time I see another post about Howard (no relation) I find myself wishing he was here, running for President.

[BW2221]

John Howard is smarter that George Bush ever dreamed of being.

[The Duke]

"Dr.Kervorkian, I think I've changed my mind!... Doctor? ... Anybody? ...".

[Northern Alliance]

Good! He finally gets it! Bush could lean from this...

Does he?

this is not designed to kick multiculturalism...

[freeangel]

Wow! A government that thinks the people living in the country should be good citizens first and care about that country. What will someone think up next?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

It's odd how a lot of countries espouse multiculturalism. The nation, and the country, are tied to culture. (British culture is not American culture is not Australian culture, et cetera, et cetera). Supporting multiculturalism is supporting a fracturing of a country into a bunch of little groups. Disturbingly, this is probably because such people in such countries (supporters of multiculturalism) are not aware that multiculturalism and multiracial are two separate things. Culture is neither tied to genes nor ancestry (unless you're a proponent of heriditary viruses affecting cultural development). An American of African, Asian, or Amerindian descent can be a member of the American culture, which is largely--though not completely--European in origin and current status. Similarly, the few Chinese of European descent in Hong Kong could have an Asian culture. And in the future, if southern African nations are able to develop sufficiently, Africans of European descent could have and African culture. The same goes for Europeans of African or Asian descent. (Confusing?).

Multiracialism should be supported (genetic diversity is good for preventing inbreeding), not multiculturalism.

[AIM-54]

The Aussies are the only ones who are getting it right.

[yankeedame]

...Multiracialism should be supported (genetic diversity is good for preventing inbreeding), not multiculturalism.

With all due respect I say: "Wrong". IMHO neither "multiracialism" nor "multiculturalism" should be supported by either the government or judicially enforced social-pressure. Instead, laissez faire -- leave people alone! Those cultures that people want will survive, those that they don't will fall by the wayside. Call it social darwinism. After all, it's not much of a cultural heritage if you have to browbeat people in to "celebrating" it.