Turnbull rates ethnic diversity and egalitarianism as important to the economy
The author, Mr Megalogenis, said his research had found “what explains Australia’s prosperity is mass migration”.
He said “after we decided to get a bit greedy” and introduced the White Australia policy “our national income, which had been soaring above the world, suddenly came back to the pack and fell below the pack”.
The Prime Minister said ethnic diversity and our egalitarian culture were treasured assets.
Our greatest economic power didn’t come from “the rocks under the ground but the people who walk on top of them”, said Mr Turnbull.
He was defying right-wing elements of the Liberal Party who have attacked multiculturalism following terrorism strikes overseas, and the decision to take in 12,000 Syrian refugees.
“Deference is very dangerous,” Mr Turnbull said launching the book Australia’s Second Chance by George Megalogenis.
“We should always be courteous, but deference overdone can mean death.
“What it means is you are not prepared to say to the boss, ‘Hey, the way we are doing things doesn’t work anymore. We’ve got to change.’ We’ve always got to be open to new ideas.”
Mr Turnbull said “openness to the world” was a theme of the book, which plots Australia’s economic performance and finds Australia boomed when migration was encouraged, and struggled when the welcome was withdrawn.
He praised Liberal Party founder Sir Robert Menzies and the party itself for sticking to “a commitment to a multicultural Australia” at the 1961 election when Labor was promising to cut the immigration flow.
“That openness and multiculturalism, based on mutual respect, is what has defined most of the most successful societies in the world,” said the Prime Minister.
“And this multicultural Australia is a remarkable achievement we should treasure and hold dear.”
The author, Mr Megalogenis, said his research had found “what explains Australia’s prosperity is mass migration”.
He said “after we decided to get a bit greedy” and introduced the White Australia policy “our national income, which had been soaring above the world, suddenly came back to the pack and fell below the pack”.
