Banjo, I'm sorry but I'm not aware of any government policy to drop "multiculturalism". Government-published material is still available in different languages, migrants are not forced to give up any of their customs other than those that directly contravene Australian law (which has always been the case), and institutions and organisation intended to help migrants keep in contact with others from similar backgrounds are still very much alive and well. If you can point me to a single piece of legislation or policy change that reflects an attempt to drop "multiculturalism", I'd like to see it. The fact that the *name* of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs changed was largely a publicity stunt, no doubt to appeal to the racist fringe that still, as this forum shows, sadly remains in existence.

Divergence: a net immigration rate of 80,000 would be about what I would see as ideal. I somewhat doubt Ross Gittin's rate of 300,000 is a genuine reflection of how the net annual increase in non-native population, but I fully agree that the current rate is not sustainable.

What a truly weird diatribe.

You really have lost it, James Sinnamon.

wizofaus,
There are many legislative changes made that are supported by both sides of the House, that we do not get to hear about, unless one reads Hansard daily. Also there are many instances where changes can be made within the current legislation. The change from MC to 'integration' probably was made in this way. In fact I would not be surprized to find that no legislative changes were made to introduce MC 35 or so years ago and even if there was, provission was left for future changes.

Have no doubt it was announced months ago and the leader of the Opposition agreed. The best way for you to check on this is via the Ministers office.

You will find that changes to printed material and so on are in progress and will be available as time goes on. I am looking forward to obtaining copy of the new information that will be given to prospective migrants when they apply for a visa.

Ginx,

Thank you.

This just what we needed, this forum having reached 205 posts largely consisting of attacks repetitiously directed by this forum's self-appointed moral policemen against myself and my efforts to defend myself against those attacks:

Another personal attack (post 206), necessitating a further response (post 208) from myself.

Now, instead of being accused of being a racist, a dog whistler, intellectually dishonest, a fraud, having a large number of fake accounts, etc, etc, I am now told that I have gone mad.

Well, to be honest, Ginx, maybe I have. They say that mad people don't know if they have gone mad.

I am sure that what I have been made to endure, so far, on this forum would not have helped.

On the other hand, assuming that I have not 'lost it', then what we on his forum is yet another example of the lengths to which those who are largely comfortable with the status quo of Australia in 2007 are prepared to go to silence those who are not.

Also, are you aware that in the old Soviet system, the authorities would routinely diagnose as mad those critics of the regime who would not be silenced?

Intriguing Banjo, because there are still literally hundreds of Goverment web pages promoting multiculturalism, at both state and federal level. E.g.

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/agenda/agenda1.htm

"It accepts and respects the right of all Australians to express and share their individual cultural heritage within an overriding commitment to Australia and the basic structures and values of Australian democracy"

And from
http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/a-diverse-australia:

"The government's cultural diversity policy and its history."
...
"A Calendar of Cultural and Religious Dates"
...
"The Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society"

etc. etc. Further there are separate pages describing various ethnic/cultural groups (e.g. http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/comm-summ/textversion/sudan.htm)

Accepted, the word "multiculturalism" has been in some cases replaced by "cultural diversity", but a rose by any other name etc. etc.

At http://candobetter.org/node/228, there is an article by Tim Murray, Director of Immigration Watch Canada (http://www.immigrationwatchcanada.org). It is entitled:

"Closing our borders can't mean turning our backs".

The intoductory teaser is:

"Whilst measures to stop the current unprecedented global levels of immigration are a necessary precondition to save our global environment, they can only ever work as stop-gap measures. Unless accompanied by a concerted international effort to redress the inequities, established by colonialism and, in recent decades, exacerbated by the waves of neo-liberal inspired globalising 'reforms', closure of borders of industrialised nations to immigration from Third World nations cannot succeed in the longer term and cannot hope to prevent world-wide environmental calamity."

Comments posted to that site will be welcome, although, for reasons which sould be obvious to all by now, personal abuse will not be tolerated.

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(To those, who may be considering once again feigning moral outrage at another post by cacofonix, alleged sock puppet of daggett, please consider that others, who may be capable of coping with ideas and facts not consistent with their pre-existing world views, may appreciate this post, even if you do not. Daggett is unable to post himself because he has once again exhausted his daily quota having had to defend himself against two further personal attacks.)