Immigration minister Chris Bowen chose a curious venue for the launch of his statement on the revitalisation of multiculturalism. Just nine days earlier, his host, Sydney Institute executive director Gerard Henderson, renounced his longstanding commitment to the policy. As backflips go, this was a double with pike. For decades, Henderson had been the leading barracker for multiculturalism on the conservative side of Australian politics, quoting statistics on inter-racial marriage ad nauseam.