I am honoured and delighted to be invited to contribute a few words to the 2005 edition of OzDownunder.

We are a nation of migrants, with the first migrants arriving 50,000 years ago with the arrival of the first Aboriginal people. Today Australians claim more than 160 ancestries and speak over 200 languages. For over 95% of Australians our history in this country dates back a mere 207 years, and while for the majority of Australians, Citizenship is a birthright, around 43% of residents and citizens were either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas.

Over 3.5 million overseas born residents have taken up the responsibilities and privileges of becoming an Australian Citizen, and with the increasingly challenging times internationally those eligible to become Citizens should endeavour to confirm their commitment to Australia and its’ way of life as a matter of priority.

The Australian Government’s multicultural policies and programs are specifically designed to facilitate community acceptance and harmony. Welcoming new arrivals and making them feel at home and included in our society is an ongoing and not always an easy process.

A number of initiatives have recently been announced to help migrants settle in Australia, including the $31 million Settlement Grants Program, which will provide funding to eligible organisations for the delivery of settlement services, such as linking new arrivals with mainstream agencies which deliver health, education and employment services.

With the increased migration levels into Australia, as well as the need to ensure that the significance and value of Australian Citizenship remains intact, a new Australian Citizenship Act will be introduced into Parliament. The new Act will go along way to responding to the challenges of participating in a changing global environment. For further information on these two initiatives, and other migrant services provided by the Australian Government, visit www.immi.gov.au.

We live in challenging times where international events cause us to wonder what the future holds. A safe place to live and raise a family has long been part of the Australian dream. It continues to be one of the main reasons why people migrate to Australia and it’s something that all Australians want to maintain.

Calls to change the nations’ immigration policies to deliberately exclude people from specific countries or religions are short-sighted and counter productive. Australia is considerably richer in experiences and enjoys much closer economic and social links with other nations as a direct result of our diverse multicultural populations.

Australia’s diversity is something worth protecting and as the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, I will work with all individuals and groups who wish to preserve our unique Australian way of life