MELBOURNE, 25 October 2022: With the campaign for the November 27 Victoria elections heating up, the Liberals & Nationals have announced new commitments for multicultural communities.
In a statement emailed to SAT today, Leader of Opposition Matthew Guy has promised among others more funding for the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV) and more independence for the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).
The media statement says:
“Since 1974, the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV), an independent, member-based peak body, has provided key support and advocacy of migrant and refugee communities in Victoria.
Despite its vital work, funding arrangements under the Andrews Labor Government are insufficient to keep pace with growing demand.
Therefore, a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will provide an additional $3.3 million over the next four years to the ECCV to enable it to better serve multicultural communities as well as a further one-off $100,000 should its application for charitable status be successful.
More broadly, the Liberals and Nationals will return integrity and respect to the heart of multicultural affairs in this state.
A Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will:
1. Honour all existing commitments made under the current multicultural programs.
2. Restore the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s independence and prevent the
corrupt or improper manipulation of its grants process by Labor.
3. Establish a new “culture-specific” Museum Grants Program to support existing
culture-specific museums and institutions, as well as the establishment of new ones.
4. Increase the minimum percentage of state government department and agency
advertising expenditure allocated to multicultural media and communications from 5% to 12% in its first year then down to 10% for the remainder of the parliamentary term.
5. Move responsibility for Multicultural Chambers of Commerce from the auspices of the Victorian Multicultural Commission to the lead business department.”
