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At the crossroads... One Nation

Arvi Parbo.

Sir Arvi Parbo, gives an explanation of multiculturalism.

Created:

1994

Date Added:

19 July 2002

Source:

Interview for Making Multicultural Australia, 1994.

Format:

mov (Quicktime);

File size:

--

Length:

20 secs

Transcript

SIR ARVI PARBO
Chair, Western Mining Corporation

Today, I think there is a meaning which can be given to it (multiculturalism) which I would subscribe to. That is, that different people who have come here from different countries are free to pursue their cultural and language and ethnic pursuits. They should be absolutely free to do that. But it doesn't make them an official, separate grouping in the community.

CONTINUATION OF INTERVIEW AS TEXT

They are all part of the Australian community. This, unfortunately, doesn't seem to be what other people think.

We don't want to have different nationalities in Australia forming different groups in themselves, and having official languages in themselves.

What I'd like to mean by this concept is 'cultural freedom'. Not multiculturalism in the sense that this country has a large number of different cultures, which are each officially of the same standing. They are not. English language is the official language of the country. There are many other restrictive situations. But we should have cultural freedom to pursue our cultures independently. But not in the sense of negating the central thought in the country, which is that we are all Australian.

Interview for Making Multicultural Australia, 1994.