One Nation Senator Sean Bell has called for all Australian government services to be delivered exclusively in English, arguing that translation and interpreting services undermine national unity, discourage migrants from learning English and entrench multiculturalism.

In an interview with Sky News, Bell also said a One Nation government would abolish the Office of Multiculturalism, which oversees the Commonwealth’s Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).

Bell’s adviser stopped his Senator from conducting an interview with Neos Kosmos, the newspaper spoke at length with his media adviser, who described translation services as divisive and argued that government communication should be conducted only in English.

Neos Kosmos challenged these claims by highlighting Australia’s post-war migration history, and argued that generations of Greek migrants arrived with little or no English, paid taxes, built businesses and institutions, preserved their language and culture, and successfully integrated into Australian society while their children became fluent English speakers.

One Nation Senator Sean Bell has called for all Australian government services to be delivered exclusively in English, arguing that translation and interpreting services undermine national unity. Photo: AAP/Mick Tsikas

‘A feeding frenzy of Australia’s racist underbelly’

George Lekakis AO, former Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and head of the Victorian Government’s 2024 Multicultural Review, said Senator Bell’s comments were “adding to the feeding frenzy of Australia’s racist underbelly.”

Lekakis said interpreting services “are an essential safeguard that enables Australians to access justice, healthcare and government services on an equal basis.”

He argued that translation and interpreter services are not a multicultural “expense” but a fundamental safeguard of a functioning democracy.

Removing interpreting services, he said, would undermine equal access to justice, healthcare and essential government services, potentially creating serious legal and ethical consequences.

George Lekakis AO argued that translation and interpreter services are not a multicultural “expense” but a fundamental safeguard of a functioning democracy. Photo: Supplied

Lekakis said it is a fundamental right in a democracy for people to be able to defend themselves in court and understand medical advice — something that would be impossible if One Nation succeeded in removing interpreter and translation services.

“Access to interpreting and translation services is not a privilege. It is a practical expression of equality before the law and a fundamental component of a fair, inclusive and democratic Australia.”

Lekakis pointed out that interpreters ensure people with limited English proficiency can understand court proceedings, provide informed consent in medical settings and engage meaningfully with government institutions.

“Interpreting services are not simply a matter of convenience or government expenditure. They are an essential safeguard that enables Australians to access justice, healthcare and government services on an equal basis.” Lekakis told Neos Kosmos.

The former multicultural commissioner said the issue is particularly significant for elderly Greek Australians who may lose English proficiency due to age-related conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

These Australians, he said, should not be denied access to services they have helped fund through their taxes.

Dr Hass Dellal AM, Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, said English remains an important part of long-term settlement, and Australia must recognise the diverse circumstances of migrants. Phooto: Supplied

English learning and language support are not competing goals

Dr Hass Dellal AM, Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, former SBS chair, and leader of the Australian Government’s 2024 Multicultural Framework Review — the most significant national review of multicultural policy in decades — also rejected Senator Bell’s argument that interpreting and translation services undermine migrant integration.

He told Neos Kosmos that “English acquisition and access to language support are not competing goals.”

“We would all agree that long-term integration includes learning English. That does not mean essential services such as interpreting and translating services should not be available.”

Dr Dellal said that while learning English remains an important part of long-term settlement, Australia must recognise the diverse circumstances of migrants, including refugees, skilled workers, spouses and “elderly migrants who may lose English proficiency later in life due to medical conditions.”

Like Lekakis, he said language services are often required in critical situations where accuracy is essential, including healthcare, legal matters and government services.

“Do we cease language services for elderly migrants who arrived 60 to 80 years ago, who have reverted back to their original language due to certain medical conditions?” said Dr Dellal.

He warned that removing interpreting services could create greater costs for government and society by increasing the risk of medical misunderstandings, reduced participation and unequal access to essential services.

For Dr Dellal, providing language support reflects the principles of Australian democracy by ensuring people can participate safely, fairly and confidently in society.

Maria Dimopoulos, CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia, said she sees families arrive in Australia “determined to build their future in this country.” Photo: Supplied

Translation services are part of migrant success, not separation

Maria Dimopoulos, CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia, also rejected Senator Bell’s call for the abolition of translation and interpreting services.

She said she sees families arrive in Australia “determined to build their future in this country.”

She added that “generations of migrants have always wanted: to learn English, find work, raise their children, contribute to their communities and become part of the Australian story.”

“Australia is at its best when we back the things that help people participate, contribute and belong,” the CEO of the Settlement Council of Australia said.

As the daughter of Greek migrants, Dimopoulos said the migrant journey is challenging and requires “resilience, discipline and years of hard work.”

She pointed out that Greek, Italian, and countless other migrant families “helped build the prosperous and confident country we share today” and translation services are “part of that success”.

Dimopoulos said translation services “help people understand essential information, access healthcare, support their children at school, find work and participate in Australian life while they learn English.”

“Translation services are not about separation. They are about connection, contribution and belonging,” Dimopoulos said in direct rejection of Senator Bell’s call for their abolition.

RedBridge pollster Kosmo Samaras said that “One Nation appears to be developing a case of Icarus Syndrome.” Photo: Supplied

‘One Nation appears to be developing a case of Icarus Syndrome’

RedBridge pollster Kosmo Samaras said that “One Nation appears to be developing a case of Icarus Syndrome.”

He said that calling for the abolition of government translation services “assumes there’s a large constituency of Australians who believe their neighbours shouldn’t speak another language. There isn’t.”

“The parts of the country with the greatest concentration of electorates are our major cities, where one in three households speaks a language other than English at home and these are also the communities One Nation needs if it wants to convert protest votes into lower house seats,” Samaras said.

He said that “These suburbs are full of tradies, nurses, and small business owners whose parents arrived with no English, paid their taxes, built institutions and raised kids who are now the most economically mobile voters in the country…and still speak the language of their parents.”

“Attacking their grandparents’ access to an interpreter at Centrelink or the GP isn’t anti-elite politics. It’s a declaration that the party hasn’t studied the electoral map it now claims to be conquering.”

Translation services predate multiculturalism

Contrary to Senator Bell’s claims that translation and interpreting services were part of multicultural policies established in the 1980s, the Commonwealth Translating Service was established in 1947 to support Australia’s post-war immigration program, during the height of the assimilation era.

Responsibility transferred to the Department of Immigration in 1958, the Emergency Telephone Interpreter Service was established in 1973, and the modern Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) was formally created in 1991.

Its purpose has been to support government functions, ensure equitable access to essential services for people with limited English proficiency, and coordinate national translation and interpreting services with the states and territories.