WILLIAM DEANE

Racism is cruel and unjust. It cuts deep and lingers long in individual and community memories. And it is not a thing of the past....We all have a duty to do what we can to turn this around.

My years as Governor General taught me many things. Perhaps the most important of them all was how critical our multiculturalism is to the well being of our nation. One sometimes hears suggestions that multiculturalism is divisive. I respectfully disagree. For me, multiculturalism means inclusiveness not division. It’s enabled us to blend the many into a pretty harmonious whole without bringing to this new land old hatreds, old prejudices and old conflicts. It is our multiculturalism in that sense which inspires and sustains our modern Australia. It is not only a moral imperative. In the context of our history and our identity, it is also a pragmatic necessity.

My years as Governor General taught me many things. Perhaps the most important of them all was how critical our multiculturalism is to the well being of our nation. One sometimes hears suggestions that multiculturalism is divisive. I respectfully disagree. For me, multiculturalism means inclusiveness not division. It’s enabled us to blend the many into a pretty harmonious whole without bringing to this new land old hatreds, old prejudices and old conflicts. It is our multiculturalism in that sense which inspires and sustains our modern Australia. It is not only a moral imperative. In the context of our history and our identity, it is also a pragmatic necessity.

Racism is cruel and unjust. It cuts deep and lingers long in individual and community memories. And it is not a thing of the past....We all have a duty to do what we can to turn this around.