liberals fully support multiculturalism

ABC Online...
Opposition Communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says Australia ranks as the most successful immigrant nation on the planet.

The Opposition has been struggling with the issue of multiculturalism after reports emerged of a split in the party over immigration.

Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison was widely criticised for questioning the cost of the Sydney funerals for asylum seekers killed in the Christmas Island shipwreck, and then faced reports he had suggested capitalising on fears over Islamic immigration.

"Scott Morrison has recognised that his remarks had been ill-timed and he apologised for that," Mr Turnbull said.

The Government has been on the attack over the issue, relaunching its multicultural policy and calling for Mr Morrison to be sacked.

Mr Turnbull has told ABC's Lateline program the Liberal Party remains committed to a multicultural Australia and a non-discriminatory immigration policy.

"We believe that one of Australia's greatest strengths is its cultural diversity. We are the most successful immigrant country in the world," he said.

"We have achieved an extraordinary degree of harmonious integration of people from every possible culture in the world.

"It's a great achievement. We're proud of it. We are committed to a multicultural Australia - that is a reality. That's part of our life."

A 10-year survey by the Challenging Racism Project yesterday said 49 per cent of Australians described themselves as "anti-Muslim".

But Mr Turnbull says discrimination on any grounds is "not the Australian way".

"People denigrating Christianity or Judaism or Islam or whether they're denigrating Greeks or Italians or Chinese, take your pick, denigrating people, religion, denigrating people's culture, denigrating their race is not the Australian way," he said.

"It is not. Because if it were, we could not be the extraordinarily successful and diverse culture that we are.

"We are defined as Australians because of our commitment to the shared political values of this country, and that's why our society is so inclusive.

"We share in the Chinese New Year, the lunar New Year festival. We share in the Greek and Italian festivals. It is part of our way of life.

"It is the richness, the diversity of this nation that makes us so strong and we must cherish it, because it is precious and it is almost - not quite - but almost unique in the world."

Dave R.