Common denominator Australian

Our laws and the language we use about our identity have been integral to maintaining our harmony. When a person becomes an Australian citizen they pledge:

From this time forward I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people, whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey.

In simple terms this a contract between each citizen and Australia. It is a promise to obey our laws.

That includes laws which sanction participation in foreign incursions and public acts of racial vilification. It is a standard which must apply equally to those who are born Australians.

We have strong laws in place to ensure that people are not discriminated against on the grounds of race. That is why the NSW Government opposes changes to the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act that would dilute these protections.

The language we use about our identity is equally important in uniting us. I recently attended the Sri Lankan Association Annual Ball, for example, where the civic contributions of 'Australians of Sri Lankan heritage' were recognised.

This is a simple yet powerful message – we can celebrate our diverse heritage while also acknowledging our commitment to Australia and values which unite us.

When we embrace our heritage we must, wherever possible, do so as Sri Lankan-Australians or Muslim-Australians or in the case of indigenous people, as our First Australians. The common denominator being that we are all Australians.

Most of us seek to belong. I suspect that those who breach our social norms do not have a sense of belonging as they identify with other places and other norms and values.

If we change our language where Australia is the common denominator then hopefully many of those who seek to engage in foreign racial hatreds or conflicts, will realise precisely that; that they are foreign and they have no place in our Australian home.