The Fraser Paradox: Reconciling Expansive Multicultural Programs with Neoliberal Health Policies

The Fraser government is widely credited for introducing progressive migration and multicultural programs. Concomitantly, it also abolished Whitlam's universal health insurance system, Medibank, and ended Commonwealth funding for community health programs. This paper examines the intersection of migrant settlement and health policies to demonstrate a policy dynamic marked by ideological tension within the Fraser government. To demonstrate this policy conflict, this article incorporates the case study of the North Richmond Family Care Centre (NRFCC), which was established in 1974 to serve the ethnically diverse population on the neighbouring public housing estate. It draws on oral history interviews with founding staff of the NRFCC, activists and public housing residents, and the NRFCC archives. This article also analyses government perspectives, examining materials from the Public Records Office Victoria, the Malcolm Fraser papers and the National Archives of Australia. From this rich trove of materials, we demonstrate that Malcolm Fraser's commitment to multiculturalism lacked meaningful impact, at least in the critical space of community healthcare.