I again commend Peter Scanlon for his foresight and enterprise in establishing the Scanlon Foundation, and his ongoing commitment to providing research that forms part of the evidence base for policies to sustain a socially cohesive Australia.
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We are now a land of 22 million people who speak almost 400 languages, identify with more than 270 ancestries and observe a wide variety, in fact the widest variety, of cultural and religious traditions.
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We are the most successful and stable multicultural nation on earth. But how do we measure this? How do we track progress? This is where the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion comes in handy. Australia’s stability is expressed in this index which sits at 94.38 per cent – up 0.54 per cent.
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Australia has settled millions of people from almost every corner of the globe, and in doing so have maintained a socially cohesive society.
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I am very pleased to see that the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion remains relatively constant—indicating a significant degree of stability within Australian society.
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We pride ourselves on a strong migration program, but it is always going to be with its challenges.
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Additionally, the Neighbourhoods Report tells us that in areas with high numbers of people born overseas, levels of trust, safety and the experience of discrimination do not equal the more positive national findings.

This focus on the latest wave of migrants is a pattern we know well. It is also notable that the Scanlon research indicates the long term change in the Australian opinion over time, in particular that there is now a large measure of acceptance of groups once largely stigmatised when they were the most recent wave of migrants.

So we have some challenges diminishing negativity towards some people of different faith groups. Our anti-racism campaign will make a contribution. As will the passage of time, concerted efforts to find employment opportunities and utilise known platforms for successful social inclusion like the arts, music, sport and volunteering.

People come to Australia for our values not religion. We pride ourselves on being a secular nation accepting of people regardless of their religion.
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Our diversity has reaped many rewards for us, but we can never afford to rest on our laurels.
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We must do what we can to ensure that all Australians, no matter what their background, are able to participate in and feel a part of an equitable and socially cohesive society.