State departments on show at the Fair
Published on 14 August, 2003
Representatives from almost a dozen departments will be on hand to showcase the State Government's commitment to multiculturalism at the 11th annual Central Queensland Multicultural Fair at CQU Rockhampton this Sunday August 17.
State MP Darryl Briskey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Minister for Trade with special responsibility for multicultural affairs said the Beattie Government has demonstrated its solid commitment to multiculturalism including the release of the Multicultural Queensland Policy.
"The policy sets the scene for all Queensland Government departments to implement practices which support and foster multiculturalism," Mr Briskey said.
The CQ Multicultural Fair is the largest one-day event in Central Queensland and this year features the theme ‘Multiculturalism in the Workplace’. "At the Fair you will see how the government provides services for all Queenslanders, including those from diverse cultures and how it delivers employment opportunities for Queenslanders from non-English speaking backgrounds,” Mr Briskey said.
"While it would be great to think that we live in a barrier free world, the reality is that people from non-English speaking backgrounds often face difficulties accessing services and finding employment.
The Fair on Sunday will be followed on Monday by a forum on what multiculturalism is doing for Queenslanders where there will be a special information session on productive diversity showcasing the business advantages multiculturalism brings to the state.
The Government display will include representatives from Multicultural Affairs Queensland, the Departments of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy, Corrective Services, Families, Main Roads, Public Works and the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Ambulance Service, Disability Services Queensland, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and the Central Queensland Institute of TAFE.
Mr Briskey will officially open the fair on Sunday morning and will be a special guest during the citizenship ceremony conducted by the Mayor of Rockhampton, Cr Margaret Strelow.