There is little doubt the key element of Local Government is community. ‘Community’ is the conglomeration of people who reside in an area. It is older people, young people, parents, aunts and uncles, males and females, people with disabilities and the able, it includes fat people and thin, well heeled and the battlers, blue eyed and brown, blond, black, brown, grey and even red heads!
We are all different. We have different capabilities, aspirations and beliefs but we are all contribute in our own way to the rich fabric that is our community. However, there is one factor common to most of us. Except for Aboriginal Australians, we are all immigrants or the offspring of immigrants. Whether we can trace our lineage back to those dragged here reluctantly in chains, free settlers disillusioned with the ‘old world’, gold seekers, explorers or adventurers, or those seeking a new life following the ravages of wars throughout this century, whatever the reason over the past 200 or so years, here we all are, 18 million of us from almost every corner of the globe sharing one of the largest and most sparsely populated continents on earth.
Tucked away, far from the Northern Hemisphere and not so ravaged by pollutants, we have the advantage of a clean and green, as well as a relatively safe lifestyle. Crimes of violence per head of population are much lower than most other developed nations, however, maybe as result of our convict past, crimes against property are much more on a par.
Freedom, justice and equity are held in high esteem but are they always put into practice? As a nation, we cannot deny there are blemishes. Throughout our short history as a nation, xenophobia has simmered away raising its ugly head from time to time.
Those who cling to the misconception that Australia is not a multicultural society are living an illusion. As a nation of immigrants, we have never been a monoculture and never will be.
Neither can we sit as an isolated island jealousy guarding our shores from whoever we might perceive is trying to muscle in. The world has changed and will continue to change. Technology, a world wide marketplace and the concept of global village are breaking down national barriers, regions are competing on a world stage.
When speaking at the Local Government Association of Queensland’s Centenary Conference earlier this year, David Lange, former PM of New Zealand, said that as well as not being part of the Northern Hemisphere, if we are to view the lateral hemispheres, here we sit a mere 18 million Australians and three million largely Caucasian New Zealanders, a drop in the ocean among over two billion in the Asia Pacific region, few of which are Caucasian.
For continuing economic prosperity, how we are perceived by the global community is vital. Laying a xenophobic card on the table is simply not good business and the multiplier effect will have devastating results on our communities, let alone tear the heart and soul out of our communities through its divisive nature.
However, reacting to the hip pocket nerve via economic repercussions is simply not good enough. Australians are renowned for giving everyone ‘a fair go’. Tolerance, fairness and respect for others are the essence of healthy, safe and productive communities.
Councils, being closest to the people, are ideally placed to show leadership and reaffirm their total commitment to ‘community’, that everyone in our community contributes to what makes it great and our nation strong. This is particularly vital as we open our doors and host the rest of the world at the 2000 Olympics.
At the macro level, Local Government, at its recent National General Assembly (refer page 1 of the Supplement in this edition), reaffirmed unanimously that it wholeheartedly supports fairness and tolerance, emanating in practice as multiculturalism and reconciliation with our indigenous people.
With the General Assembly aptly described as Australia’s ‘largest parliament of the people’, and not a dissenting vote from any of the 400 plus representatives from communities across the nation, surely this clearly reflects the views of ‘mainstream’ Australia as distinct from the personal opinions of Ms Hanson and her cohorts.
However, it is now over to Councils to translate this National Statement on Community Tolerance into practice within their own localities through leadership and their total commitment to ‘community’.
