There's concern and disappointment in Queensland's multicultural community about funding cuts and overall recognition by the six-month-old Liberal National Party government.
Service providers suffered cuts in last month's deficit slashing budget and a number of key multicultural events have been cancelled this year and may not be reinstated.
Agnes White, chair of Queensland's Ethnic Communities Council says, “I'll tell you what, a lot of activities in the multicultural area have been cancelled this year.”
"It's not easy for a new government to balance the budget and what happens then is that marginalised groups, like the cultural, the multicultural groups are the ones that usually get their funding cut first so we're really very concerned.”
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The Council has organised its third summit, which is under way in Brisbane, to advocate for the 800,000 Queenslanders who were born overseas.
The 38-year-old organisation was disappointed about the limited attendance of the Multicultural Affairs Minister Glen Elmes at community events.
"When you're there addressing multicultural groups and multicultural communities, they want the minister and they are feeling let down because the minister is failing to show up," State opposition leader and former multicultural affairs minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
Standing in for Glen Elmes to open the summit was assistant minister Robert Cavallucci, who says his boss is absent from the summit because of state Cabinet's weekly meeting and reassures the community that they are not the only ones suffering.
"What I've seen when you engage with multicultural communities, or education, disabilities, every community that suffers cuts feels why are they receiving the brunt of the cuts but that's simply not the case, it's right across the board."
Also cut is the Queensland multicultural festival in Brisbane that attracts almost 100,000 visitors, the Queensland annual multicultural awards and the Premier's photo prize.
Assistant Minister Robert Cavallucci says the government is reviewing its multicultural programs and an announcement is due soon about what will replace them next year.
