CANBERRA, 15 October, 2026: — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used a major multicultural summit in Parliament House on Thursday to defend Australia’s migration story and announce $85 million in funding to better recognise overseas skills.
Speaking to the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia, FECCA, in the Great Hall on 15 October 2026, Mr Albanese framed the current national debate as a choice between “nostalgia for a past that has never existed” and a commitment to “many stories, but one future.”
“Here in our national capital, there is a debate… between a nostalgia… and whether we will come together,” he told delegates. “Australia’s migration story has been many generations in the making. Anyone who can look in the rear vision mirror and see a monoculture should really get themselves down to the nearest Specsavers. Because we have of course always been multicultural.”
The PM praised migrant contributions “from the maternity ward to the nursing home,” noting more than a third of small business owners in Australia were born overseas. He defended Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Small Business Dr Anne Aly, saying critics “just need to get out more, and actually talk to what small businesses in Australia look like.”
Addressing social cohesion, Mr Albanese referenced the upcoming Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion established after the Bondi attack. “We do have to call out hatred in all its forms, and we have to acknowledge there has been a rise in antisemitism,” he said. He also highlighted the re-establishment of the Federal Office for Multicultural Affairs under Dr Aly.
A key policy announcement was an $85 million investment in migration skills recognition reform in this year’s budget. Citing FECCA data, the PM said nearly 350,000 migrant and refugee women work below their skill level. Only 41% work in roles matching their qualifications and they earn 31% less than Australian-born women with equivalent qualifications.
“We want every Australian to be able to add to our country and feel proud of what they bring and to maximise that,” he said.
Drawing on his Marrickville electorate, Mr Albanese described multicultural suburbs as a “microcosm for the whole world” at a time of global conflict. He cited Greek, Italian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Filipino and African communities as examples of how migration enriches Australia.
He also pointed to diversity within his own government. “You look at our Caucus roll call, you don’t have to go past the letter A. You get Abdo, Albanese, Aly, Ambihaipahar, Ananda-Rajah, and then you get Ayres… it looks like Australia.”
Closing with FECCA’s conference theme “Navigating Change, Shaping Australia: Many Stories, One Future”, the PM urged Australians to aim beyond tolerance. “Let’s not just aim for tolerance, let’s aim for celebration. Let’s celebrate who we are as modern Australia and your part in it.”
