The annual Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner was a glittering affair with Victoria’s multiculturalism on full display. Community leaders, advocates and creatives arrived in their finest traditional costumes or slick evening wear, joining politicians and dignitaries to celebrate the state’s diversity.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) hosted the event, which brought together leaders, community members and politicians from across Victoria.
Uncle Shane Charles, Wurundjeri Elder opened the evening and highlighted how both immigrants and First Nations people share the same values. He talked about the respectful treatment he received as Wurundjeri Elder on an official visit to Indonesia, and how he felt equal and respected.
A common theme among them was the value of multiculturalism, social cohesion, and respect, while tributes flowed to the two police officers killed in Porepunkah. Stitt paid tribute to 50 years of Vietnamese migration and the opening of the Vietnamese Museum of Australia in Sunshine. Referring to the deaths of the officers, she said the event had “shaken many of us in this room.”
On the anti-immigration rally scheduled for the day after, she declared: “Victoria will always reject division and hate and racism… Our message is clear, whoever you are, whoever you love, whoever you pray to, you are welcome in Victoria.”
Premier Allan acknowledged the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and thanked VMC Commissioners for their service, noting that Chair Vivien Nguyen had “led this Commission with distinction during some really difficult times.”
She also pointed to the forthcoming release of the George Lekakis multicultural review, aimed at ensuring Victoria’s “old multicultural systems and values and policies are set up for this new challenge.”
The review is expected to be released in late September or early October. It could signal major changes for the VMC. As one government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Neos Kosmos, “This is no longer 1996. We need new approaches, new leadership and structures to deal with modern multiculturalism.”
Current VMC commissioners are: Chair, Vivienne (Viv) Nguyen AM, deputy chair, the retiring, Bwe Thay, Deputy Chairperson, Tarang Chawla, Sylvia Coombe, Jennifer Huppert, Nyangak (Lizzy) Kuoth, Gabrielle Marchetti, retiring, Mohamed Mohideen OAM JP, Bill Papastergiadis OAM, Krushnadevsinh Ravalji, Silvia Renda, and Dr Judy Tang.
Allan paid tribute to the fallen officers, noting that Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson “was days away from retirement and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart – a migrant – had his whole life ahead of him.” A moment of silence followed.
She spoke of “the Victorian promise” where children “can be whoever they want to be – yet stay who they are,” stressing the importance of respect, family values and understanding. She denounced the March for Australia and its extremist supporters. “Australia isn’t a place where we walk with Nazis. Australia is a place that went to war with the Nazis – and the Australian flag is a symbol of our victory and their defeat. Our flag is a beautiful thing. But it’s what you do with it that counts.”
She warned that overseas conflicts have tested cohesion. “Jewish kids are taking off their kippa on the tram and skipping footy practice. Hindu teenagers are afraid to open Twitter. Muslim women, alert to Islamophobia, are looking over their shoulder in the shopping centre.” She argued that stronger laws and services were needed to prevent division: “That’s why we introduced Australia’s strongest laws against vilification – because racism and hatred are crimes, too.”
Hill described Australia as a “multicultural, multilingual, multi-faith land for thousands of years,” adding: “Our human diversity is our nation’s defining characteristic and greater strength.”
He condemned antisemitism and the targeting of minorities, warning against “forces of right-wing extremism and populism,” and dismissed the March for Australia rallies as “a grab bag of neo-Nazis and other fringe dwellers.”
Opposition Leader Battin, a former police officer, struck a more positive note. He paid tribute to the officers and acknowledged the emergency services present at the gala. “One thing I know is that Victorians stand by the Victoria Police,” he said, urging community leaders to remind others that “Victoria is the greatest place to live.”
Nguyen closed the formal proceedings of the evening, paying tribute to the fallen officers and thanking her outgoing commissioners. Emotional at times, she even sang a verse of the Seekers’ I Am, You Are, We Are Australian. She highlighted milestones such as 50 years of Vietnamese settlement, the Galbaly Report which laid the foundation for migrant settlement programs, and the establishment of the VMC itself.
The evening also featured music and dance from African, Lebanese, Pacific Islander and Greek communities, underscoring the diversity the gala sought to celebrate.
