Recently, on 29 April 2025, as part of the lead-up to the Federal election, Professor Fethi Mansouri joined a panel of experts to speak about ‘Multicultural Matters’ at the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria Federal Election Forum 2025.
The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) is an independent, member-based peak body representing migrant and refugee communities across Victoria.
Respected broadcaster Jon Faine AM hosted the panel of experts, including:
- Professor Fethi Mansouri, Director of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation
- Brendan Coates, Housing and Economic Security Program Director at the Grattan Institute
- Farah Farouque, Chief Executive Officer at ECCV
The Multicultural Matters panel discussed the importance of looking at the evidence around housing. Specifically, Professor Mansouri focussed on misconceptions about the link between housing affordability and migration. The panel also talked about inclusive policy, multiculturalism and racism. Later, in his summary remarks, Professor Mansouri stated:
“I really would like to see that things like immigration decisions are not made during a political election during an election cycle because unfortunately and unavoidably… people will be making decisions …and making policies on the run which do not speak to the needs of our society, to the needs of our economy, to the needs of this beautiful country that we live in.”
Watch a recording of the Multicultural Matters | ECCV Federal Election Forum 2025 – YouTube
