Australia’s left-wing Labor government has promised to help fund a monument celebrating linguistic diversity in southwest Sydney if re-elected, sparking fury from everyday Aussies.
MP for Macarthur Dr Mike Freelander announced this week that the federal government had pledged $50,000 towards an International Mother Language Monument in Victoria Park, Minto, after lobbying from Bangladeshi immigrants.
A design proposal exhibited in February shows the monument will be wheelchair accessible, made up of large stone slabs and feature the Australian, aboriginal, Bangladeshi and Campbelltown flags.
Dr Freelander, a proud member of the Jewish community, made the announcement alongside immigration minister Tony Burke, Bangladeshi Labor Councillors Masood Choudhury and Ashik Rahman, Mayor of Campbelltown Darcy Lound, and state Labor MP Anoulack Chanthivong.
“With over 79 different languages spoken in Macarthur, we are a diverse community that comes together as one,” he wrote on social media.
“That’s why I’m proud to announce that a Federal Labor Government will partner with Campbelltown Council to deliver a Mother Language Monument in Minto to recognise our diverse backgrounds as Australians.”
Mr Burke also spoke at the site, and credited Bangladeshi immigrants for developing the project, Good Morning Macarthur reported.
“Mother Language Day is one of the great gifts the Bangladeshi community have given to the world,” he said.
“Keeping those languages alive in Australia helps in two ways: it enriches the nation and builds a bridge to the rest of the world.
“If you visit here, there’s someone you can say hello to in your own language. And making sure that we view that as an asset… is only good for Australia.”
But many Australians were upset with the promise, with one asking if it was a “late April Fools Day joke”.
“Why not spend that money on education for those speaking those 79 languages to learn English so that they can assimilate into their new homeland more easily,” asked one disgruntled X user.
“Why do I have to pay for this? Why can’t those communities crowd-fund for their ‘Languages other than English’ monument?” another asked.
“I’m so tired of propping up every community except my own. Every White person has to work and pay taxes for every group except White people.”
“Abandoning the idea that multiculturalism would integrate with the host culture. Multiculturalism is a failed project,” said a third.
The planned monument is related to International Mother Language Day, a Bangladeshi initiative that eventually gained formal United Nations recognition.
Sydney already has two monuments for for UNESCO day, one in Ashfield and one in Lakemba, both of which were the result of lobbying from the Bangladeshi community, although the latter caused infighting due to disputes about the “ugly” design.
Header image: Left, the proposed monument. Right, Labor MPs at the site (Facebook).
