Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Australia’s multicultural identity amid growing debate over migration, warning against attempts to blame people from different backgrounds for the economic pressures facing Australians.
Addressing the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) national conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Albanese said Australia’s strength lay in its diversity and the contributions of generations of migrants.
He described the national debate as a contest between nostalgia for a past that had never existed in Australia and a shared commitment to shaping the country’s future together.
“There is a debate between a nostalgia … for a past that has never existed in this great nation, and whether we will come together … many stories, but one future.”
The Prime Minister argued that migration had contributed to Australia’s prosperity across almost every sector, from healthcare and aged care to construction, education, hospitality and small business.
“Migrants work hard and they pay taxes. They add to the bottom line and they lift our ambitions as a country by expanding our sense of what is possible.”
Albanese also highlighted the role of migrant entrepreneurs, noting that more than a third of small business owners in Australia were born overseas.
His comments came amid heightened political debate over immigration, with major parties facing pressure to respond to public concerns about migration levels, housing affordability and the cost of living.
Acknowledging the economic pressures facing households, Albanese warned that some people sought to exploit public frustration by directing blame towards those who looked different.
“As more Australians feel the brunt of economic pressures, there are always those ready to exploit the moment by sowing division, by saying that the reason why your life isn’t everything that you would want it to be is because of someone who doesn’t look like you.”
He urged Australians to protect social cohesion and reject racism and discrimination in all forms.
Albanese calls for celebration, not just tolerance
The Prime Minister said multiculturalism was not a new development in Australia but an enduring part of the nation’s history.
Drawing on the history of his Sydney electorate of Grayndler, including Marrickville, he described successive waves of migration involving British, Irish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Lebanese, Vietnamese and African communities.
He said each community had left its mark on Australian society, contributing to the country’s cultural, social and economic life.
“Anyone who can look in the rear vision mirror and see a monoculture should really get themselves down to the nearest Specsavers.”
He also pointed to the diversity of the government’s parliamentary representation, saying its frontbench and caucus reflected modern Australia.
Albanese stressed that cultural celebrations could bring communities together, regardless of their backgrounds or faiths. He cited Lunar New Year festivals and Ramadan gatherings as examples of events where people from outside the communities being celebrated were equally welcome.
“My experience, I’m sure it’s the experience of everyone here, is there’s no one more welcome at an event celebrating a particular culture than people from outside that culture,” he said.
“Let’s not just aim for tolerance, let’s aim for celebration. Let’s celebrate who we are as modern Australia and your part in it.”
Tackling racism and discrimination
Albanese also addressed rising antisemitism and the broader challenge of maintaining social cohesion.
He referred to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, established following the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi, and said Australia needed to confront hatred in all its forms.
“We need to stamp out all forms of racism and discrimination.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s re-establishment of the Federal Office for Multicultural Affairs, saying Australia could not afford to abandon multiculturalism as a defining national principle.
He also acknowledged the challenges faced by migrant and refugee women whose qualifications and skills were not fully recognised in the Australian workforce.
Albanese said nearly 350,000 migrant and refugee women were working below their skill levels, with only 41 per cent employed in roles matching their qualifications. He said they earned 31 per cent less than Australian-born women with equivalent qualifications.
The government had announced an $85 million investment in migration skills recognition reform in the federal budget, he said, to help address barriers preventing qualified migrants from using their skills.
‘Many stories, one future’
Addressing the conference theme, Navigating Change, Shaping Australia: Many Stories, One Future, Albanese urged community organisations to continue strengthening belonging and cooperation.
He said migrant communities acted as bridges connecting Australia with the rest of the world through culture, business, sport and international relationships.
The Prime Minister concluded by thanking community representatives for their work and urging Australians to recognise the contributions of people from different backgrounds.
He said successive generations of migrants had come to Australia seeking better opportunities for their children while also wanting to contribute to the country as a whole.
For Albanese, that shared aspiration remained central to Australia’s national identity: a country shaped by many stories, with a common future.
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