Victoria’s new Minister for Multicultural Affairs & Citizenship, Nicholas Kotsiras, says he wants to ensure multiculturalism takes place across all departments of government, not just one.
I want every department to have an input into multicultural affairs, because in the end, we’re all Victorians.
“I want to take a cross-governmental approach, to make government respond to all Victorians,” Mr Kotsiras told Neos Kosmos today.
“I want every department to have an input into multicultural affairs, because in the end, we’re all Victorians.”
As Ted Baillieu’s 22-member cabinet was sworn in during the week, Mr Kotsiras, who won his seat of Bulleen with 59.9 per cent of the primary vote, was made Minister for Multicultural Affairs & Citizenship.
He told Neos Kosmos his first task would be to review all the programs from the past 11 years of Labor government.
Mr Kotsiras said he would create eight committees throughout Victoria to discuss multicultural policy, each chaired by a commissioner.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, if you’ve got a health issue, it should be in the health department, if you’ve got an education issue, it should be in the education department,” he said.
He said he wasn’t trying to take multicultural affairs out of the ministry, which would put himself out of a job.
“My role is to make sure everyone is taking multiculturalism into account,” he said.
“Someone needs to make sure there are programs in place.”
Mr Kotsiras said the Liberal Party’s policy to gradually make Languages Other Than English (LOTE) compulsory at Victorian government schools would help feed more translators and interpreters into an under-resourced system.
“We have to make sure once we get people, we keep them,” he added.
Mr Kotsiras also reiterated his party’s promise to maintain the $2 million government funding for a Greek cultural centre in Lonsdale Street, $100 000 for a Hellenic festival in Oakleigh, and $100 000 for Victoria’s Cypriot community.
Four Greek Australians won seats in Saturday’s election.
Mr Kotsiras will be joined in the lower house by John Pandazopoulos, who retained his seat of Dandenong for the Labor party.
In the Upper House, Labor candidate Jenny Mikakos retained her seat in the Northern Metropolitan Region, and Lee Tarlamis won the fifth seat in South Eastern Metropolitan.
In the seat of Oakleigh, where there is a large Greek population, a 6.4 per cent swing to Liberal candidate Theo Zographos was not enough to steal the seat from sitting member Ann Barker.
Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu is expected to recall Parliament before Christmas.
Former Health Minister Daniel Andrews was elected unopposed as Opposition Leader at the Labor Party meeting today.
Labor’s Shadow Ministry is expected to be announced over the weekend, with Jenny Mikakos tipped for a portfolio.