An excellent essay. "Australia does not need a Multicultural Act. Australia already has a stable and well-developed legal system that governs the behaviour of its citizens. The rule of law is the only acceptable basis for a healthy, descriptively multicultural society.
Once the rule of law determines the extent of permissible behaviours, the state should get out of the business of supporting or maintaining the cultural, ethnic or religious components of identity."
This says it all. What a truly secular democracy should offer is 'pluralism' -- the acceptance of difference within the law.
Cultures have their origins in organised religions, which are the source of social ferment, intimidation, bigotry, intolerance and injustice. Our already precarious democracy has no hope of surviving against the determined onslaught of religious groups determined to further their own beliefs. Look at the harm the Exclusive Brethren have done! No matter how toxic the religion/culture, they'll pay no taxes, rates or anything else that will support others, and will be assisted to start their own schools to breed more narrow-minded warriors for furthering their religion.
Ludwig's correct. Stop migration until we've got our house in order; certainly don't invite people fleeing from religious wars to come here, so they can continue their insane violence.

<< Could you tell me the 'good' aspects of MC >>

Banjo, I guess it is basically the diversity in lifestyle, activities, food, etc, which adds character and dynamism to our society.

We’ve achieved this. I can’t see that we can achieve anything further by way of further multicultural/ethnic/religious immigration.

The upsides of multiculturalism do seem rather superficial and vague and that the potential downsides are quite ominous.

And yes I agree that further immigration of a diverse variety of people will promote enclave development and groups that go against the grain of Australian society.

<< Ludy, while I agree with your thoughts about high immigration being detrimental to our country, you have lost me in relation to multiculturalism >>

High immigration is very strongly detrimental in terms of the need to balance supply and demand, achieve a sustainable resource base, and have a growing economy that can actually lead to average per-capita gains instead of just battling to provide more of the same that the current population has for ever more people.

In short; high immigration stresses the whole economic system and quality of life across the nation. And when stresses increase, discontent increases and fractures appear.

That’s where multiculturalism becomes a real worry. Groups of people who get along reasonably well while things are going reasonably well are likely to come into conflict when things deteriorate. The us-and-them mentality increases, mistrust increases, feelings of inequality increase, etc.

We absolutely need to wind back the ponzi scheme of high immigration to a very low level, at least until we get our house in order.