Australia's Multiculturalism On The Spotlight

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One of the biggest reasons why a lot of people embark on an Australian immigration is because the country is very welcoming of immigrants. Indeed, even with the spate of immigration changes that were implemented by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the country has still been generally open to people coming from all over the world.


And an even more attractive aspect of this openness is the fact that the country is willing to take in people coming from different cultures. Indeed, multiculturalism has been one of the defining aspects of Australian lifestyle. And this one has made Australia as one of the most livable


However, it seems that there is a threat to the multiculturalism that is present in Australia. As it is there are groups that are arguing that the very concept of multiculturalism has actually failed in Australia. Thus, they are clamoring for a stricter control in the immigration policies in order to protect Australian values.


One of the biggest critics of the idea of multiculturalism is former Prime Minister John Howard. Howard served as the country's Prime Minister under the Liberal Party for eleven years (1996-2007) before being replaced by Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party during the 2007 federal elections. During his term, Howard implemented strict immigration policies, including the infamous Pacific Solution, which saw asylum seekers being transported to nearby islands instead of being let into the country.


According to Howard, Australia might have gone too far in letting in a wide variety of cultures into the country. He argues that because of the perceived lenient stand by the present Labor government on the matter, many of Australia's cherished English values are now slowly eroding away. He also added that because of the lax attitude, Australia has now become an easy targets for extremists.


However, Howard asserted that he is not against the idea of a wide variety of people entering the country. He said that it is the people's basic rights to choose the place they wish to live in. but he also emphasized that these people should also learn to respect and love the culture of the place that they are living in; in this case, Australia.


On the other hand, many supporters argued that, contrary to the above assertions, multiculturalism itself, is essentially a part of Australia's core values. This, they pointed out, can be easily evidenced by the continuing reception and assimilation of Aboriginal elements into Australian culture. They have also asserted that multiculturalism is essential to promote the country's further development.


Image Resource

http://www.international.swinburne.edu.au/study-in-australia/australia/multicultural.jpg

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