Victorian Opposition figures have intensified claims that taxpayer-funded multicultural events are being used for political purposes, as new details about speaking roles and invitations at government functions come to light.
Government communications reported by The Age show that decisions about who speaks at some events are determined by the Premier’s Private Office, even when events are delivered by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The issue has centred on a series of multicultural and multi-faith gatherings across Melbourne in an election year, including a newly announced Victorian Christian Communities Dinner. The Opposition Leader Jess Wilson declined to attend the event after being refused an opportunity to address attendees, according to the report.
Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland said the latest communications reinforced concerns about how these events were being conducted.
“The Opposition’s spokesman for multicultural and multifaith affairs Evan Mulholland said the government communications confirmed the events were being politicised.”
“It is blatantly political to be doing this in an election year,” he said.
“They are hosting more of these events this year than previous years at a cost of over $1 million. It is a baked-in electoral advantage using tax payer money.”
“The real shame is that these events should be an opportunity to publicly demonstrate bipartisan support for our multicultural and multifaith communities. Unfortunately it is not politically convenient for an unpopular Premier to showcase that bipartisan support”
“The real shame is that these events should be an opportunity to publicly demonstrate bipartisan support for our multicultural and multifaith communities. Unfortunately it is not politically convenient for an unpopular Premier to showcase that bipartisan support.”
The concerns follow earlier questions raised about events such as the Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner and Diwali State Reception, where the Opposition has argued that invitation allocations and speaking opportunities were unevenly distributed.
Government figures have rejected claims of partisanship. Multicultural Affairs Minister Ingrid Stitt said in parliament that publicly funded multicultural events follow established processes and are designed to recognise Victoria’s diverse communities.
“They’re celebrations of our diversity as a state, which we take very seriously,” she said.
Stitt said invitation lists were prepared through standard departmental processes and that opposition MPs were typically invited as guests, in line with past practice.
The Victorian Public Sector Commission has been asked to consider whether any conduct relating to the organisation of these events meets required standards, as debate over the role of government in multicultural engagement continues in the lead-up to the state election.
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