George Lekakis AO, one of Victoria’s most respected multicultural figures, has come out of retirement to lead a bold review of the state’s multicultural policies – and he is urging the Greek community not to sit this one out.
Now underway, the Victorian Multicultural Review aims to examine whether existing programs are fit for purpose in a rapidly changing social landscape.
Lekakis, a former chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, spoke exclusively to The Greek Herald, while on the road with back-to-back community consultations this week.
“People are unanimously requesting that the government promote collaboration in Victorian communities and increased support for building the capacity of ethnic and multicultural community initiatives and organisations,” he said. “Extensive feedback on government structures and programs has also come forward.”
He has already met with more than 30 organisations, including the Islamic Council of Victoria, Jewish Community Council, the Sikh and Hindy communities, and multicultural service providers.
“This is their opportunity to make an impact on multicultural policy going forward,” he said, underscoring the urgency for Greek organisations and associations to participate.
“It’s important for the established Greek and Italian communities to mobilise. They may now see themselves as mainstream, but we still face many challenges.”
For Greek Australians, Lekakis sees both legacy and opportunity.
“Greeks have contributed profoundly to multicultural Australia – through cultural activities, aged care, disability support, women’s services, and language programs,” he said.
“But governments must continue to respond to our changing needs. Just because we’ve integrated well doesn’t mean our challenges have disappeared.”
He also raised the importance of documenting Hellenic history in Australia and supporting Greek language retention through public and private education.
“Language is identity,” he said. “Governments need to provide more support for Greek language tuition.”
For Lekakis, the Review is deeply personal.
“I’ve noticed that even Greeks have forgotten what they went through,” he said. “Sometimes, they’re not as empathetic as they should be. That’s why I always go back to where I started from – the trials and tribulations of my parents being new migrants, at the lower end of society, trying to make a life in this country.”
The process of the Review, he says, is about listening.
“We want to know fundamentally what the problems are and how we can address them with the help of the community. Some of the issues raised so far, we had never even thought about,” he says.
The Review comes as Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s government pushes for a renewed multicultural strategy focused on social cohesion, trust in institutions and addressing modern challenges like digital misinformation and rising extremism.
“People are more courageous now about expressing extremist views,” Lekakis observed. “That’s why this work is not just about programs; it is about protecting the social fabric of Victoria.”
Reflecting on his decades of service, Lekakis said his commitment to multiculturalism was born from lived experience. Growing up in Brunswick in the 1960s, he faced racism but found strength in his community, and his father Nikola’s mentorship.
“We lived in what academics called an ‘ethnic ghetto’ – but for me, it was empowering,” he said. “At a very young age, I was helping people who came over to our house because I spoke English and Greek. That shaped who I became.”
Lekakis’ advisory panel brings multicultural experts, including Hass Dellal AO, youth advocate Carmel Guerra OAM, community leader Miriam Suss OAM and public policy expert Mark Duckworth PSM.
He insists this is not just another consultation for the shelf and that is what drew him out of retirement.
“One has to keep their mind active – and I’m doing what I love,” he said.
He added, “We want genuine contribution by communities. Submissions can be made in any language. We’ll translate and consider them all – there should be no hindrance.”
Have your say: Community consultations will run across Victoria throughout May. Submissions in any language are welcome and will be translated.
