The name is absent

144

The application of such a test is provided for by the fact that

Liberal party policy not only grew out of, and was a modified
* «
version of, the policy inherited from the Labor Government, but
it had to take account of a new enŋɔhasis in the conceptualisation
of Australian society.

By the early seventies many different migrant groups had
attained a cohesive identity for various reasons, some connected
with language, some with religion, some with political affiliation,
some with social mobility giving higher status to individuals
within the group.

Such cohesion, added to a vigorous ethnic press, gave considerable
power at the ballot box.

In order to retain their seats, politicians found it imperative
to recognise ethnic groups and support their causes.

A change in the conceptualisation of Australian society
to accommodate migrants as an integral part of the ’world’ of
Anglo-Saxon society was forced upon politicians.

This change in government attitude was attributed unashamedly
...mainly to growing awareness within all major
political parties in recent years of the needs
of migrant communities and of the importance of
the migrant vote, particularly in marginal electorates
(Commonwealth Education Portfolio, Discussion paper
on Education in a multi-cultural Australia, April,
1978).

Australian society was reconceptualised as a multi-cultural
society.

Government legislation and policy relating to this concept-
ualisation of Australian society will now be examined, in particular
as this is exemplified in the ’world’ of education, and with
special reference to the manner in which the ’world’ of Aborigines

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