Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 6:16:22 to 6:21:15
Debate occurs over the value of taxpayer funding for community language schools and the role of multilingualism in Australia's economic and social landscape.
Topics: Education, Social cohesion
Speakers: Hon Murray Watt, Senator Pauline Hanson, Senator Jana Stewart, Stephanie Foster
That's all right, I've I've got it. 5.9 million for 22-23. And I've got 325 million for 25-26. So I've got those figures. So what I'm asking for, you say it's used for amenities for facilities, um, and these grants that are uh that were paid out. Just tell me, um, is uh was any of the grants used for any of these communities to maintain their own language or their own cultural
well I don't know whether the grants that have been discussed here include this, but it is the case that the government has funded uh, for example, community language schools to enable Australians from uh a range of cultural backgrounds to learn and maintain the language spoken by their might be their parents or their grandparents. We think that there's some value in Australians being able to speak a range of languages that are spoken across the world.
And you and you think that should be at the cost of the taxpayer who is struggling her own educational system to learn English. Don't you think you know the taxpayer would appreciate that it's up to the household if they want to maintain their own cultural language to do it at their expense and not the taxpayers?
Well, I'm not sure whether uh how those schools operate and whether the families may make a financial contribution themselves, but as I say, we think there's some value to Australia, um whether it be around social cohesion, whether it be about the economic opportunities that are available to Australia in Australians being able to speak and learn a range of languages. And that that's that's something the public in Australia benefits from. I mean it's not as if we're not funding schools and teaching people English. This government has put more taxpayer funding into schooling than any government has ever done. So it's not one or the other.
Well, language is very important to a lot of Australian people, and who are concerned now that people can um give their citizenship oath in their own mother tongue, their own language, not in English.
Well, can we check that that's correct?
I'm not sure that that's generally true, Senator Hanson.
What's what's the source for of that?
Well, from the media, actually.
Which media outlets? Um, so news twenty-four is claiming that people are taking the citizenship in their own language.
Right. Well, that concerns me greatly and would concern a lot of Australians if that is the case. So if you're promoting people to maintain their own language. Then that is concern. Please um have a look at it and find out your information. This is not the place for me to continue with that. But language is very important to me. That this is an English speaking country, and I don't think the taxpayers out there would appreciate funding someone to keep their own language.
Well, I think I think I think it is it's obviously true that well, I'm I'm pretty sure it's true that English is the language spoken by most Australians. Australians. But as I say, our government believes that there's a lot of value to Australia in supporting multicultural communities. Even if you're only thinking about the economic opportunities. And there's a lot more to it than that. But even if you're thinking about the economic opportunities that Australia generates from having people from all around the world, that's a good thing for Australia. It creates jobs right across Australia. It creates business opportunities right across Australia. And being able to speak, so anyway, I think that's a good question. Well, you've asked questions. I'm entitled to respond. Being able to speak the languages that are spoken in those other countries is pretty critical to be able to do trade deals, for example, and that's before we get to any other benefits that come from that.
Senator Hanson, I'm just indicating you are at your first 10 minute block, so I'm going to take the opportunity to rotate the call and I will come back to you. And I have got Senator Payman on the list, and I will indicate English was not the first language spoken in this country. Senator Payman, you have the call.