Kapetopoulos asked why, in Stitt’s view, the conflict in Gaza has given rise to people from ethnic backgrounds far from the conflict zone taking up the causes of those involved.
“I don’t think it’s a unique situation to Victoria,” she responded. “We’ve seen the conflict in the Middle East really impact the whole world.
“There’s been a lot of protest activity, particularly in Western democracies. I think in Victoria … we’re really known for being a very peaceful and harmonious community. But there’s no doubt that the conflict in the Middle East has put some additional pressure on our social cohesion.
“I think from the Victorian government’s perspective, we obviously understand that the conflict has deeply impacted a lot of people directly who may have relatives in that part of the world. But we do think that regardless of your personal views about these issues, that really needs to be expressed in a respectful way and in a safe way.
“Unfortunately, from time to time, we have seen people’s behaviour step over the mark. But I’m obviously very relieved that there has been a peace process brokered. Obviously, we still have a long way to go, but I think every Victorian wants to see the killing end and we obviously want to make sure that we are supporting those communities in Victoria who have been most impacted by the conflict.”
Later in the interview, Stitt paid tribute to Victoria’s Italian and Greek communities, referring to them as “trailblazers” whose success should be an inspiration to newer arrivals.
“Other than First Nations people, we all have a story of migration and that’s one of the things that makes our state so strong,” she said.
“I look at the Italian and Greek communities as trailblazers in that regard. I think that the more established communities, such as the Greek and Italian communities, have got a lot that others can learn from … in how you have built the capacity of your community infrastructure and your leadership [and] how you have made sure that you’ve advocated strongly to government to improve outcomes for people in your community.
“I think you sort of set the benchmark, if you like.”
When asked what the state is doing to ensure that Italian and Greek continue to be taught in schools, the minister referred to the recommendations from Victoria’s Multicultural Review, led by George Lekakis.
“I think another key recommendation from George Lekakis’ work is to make sure that language is an essential service in Victoria,” she explained.
“He calls for that change and we have accepted that recommendation. So, there’s a lot of exciting reform that will be underway in how we make sure that we not only preserve language, but we make that language accessible to others in the community as well.
“Whether that’s through ensuring that our language services and our interpreters and translators are at the heart of government, or whether it’s languages in our kindergartens or our schools, it’s incredibly important.
“And I also want to acknowledge the important role that our multicultural media outlets play in making sure that Victorians who don’t have English as a first language are really able to connect with all of the government services and policies that are important to them and, of course, keep up with events.”
To watch the entire interview, click here or on the video above.
