Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to speak on the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill. Many Australians do not understand that there has always been the possibility of people losing their citizenship if they lack commitment to this nation and its future. The circumstance in which this traditionally could occur—and the ability has been there since enactment in 1949—was when people might elect to fight with a foreign army against Australia. I have had the opportunity in recent months to talk to many people about this issue of citizenship deprivation in the context that the law already allows for citizenship deprivation. The test is whether you are, by your conduct, electing to demonstrate that you have no commitment to this nation first and foremost. When people elect to fight with a foreign army against Australia, that is the decision they are taking. If somebody is fighting with a foreign army against Australia, should we say 'You are still welcome as part of our family'? I do make the point, and I have had to make it to many audiences I have spoken to before, that I cannot imagine anything more heinous than a person electing not to fight with a foreign army but to fight with a terrorist organisation against Australia's interests. The point I make is that if you are fighting with a foreign army you are fighting with people who ostensibly will tell us they believe in appropriate conduct, they observe the rules of war. Nobody can assure me that terrorists, by the way in which they are behaving, are observing the rules of war. When we know there are some amongst our number who demonstrate very clearly that they have no commitment to this nation and its future first and foremost, it seems to me we are entitled to make that call.

This legislation is about how we go about that. It is legislation that has been considered in comprehensive detail by this parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security. It is supported by members of that committee right across the political spectrum of this parliament. Its report reflects a very careful analysis to try to ensure that you get the balance right, making sure that when decisions are taken they are taken in a way which demonstrates our determination to be satisfied that those people who have behaved inappropriately have been properly identified and that there is a process to test those matters. I think the legislation is warranted. I have had to speak to many people of many different backgrounds, races, cultures, religions, and I make the point every time I work with them that Australia is a country that has welcomed people from all over the world. We have done it more successfully than I think any other country. When I talk about these issues I make the point that Australia has one of the highest proportions of population overseas-born that you will find anywhere in the world. The only two countries that proportionately exceed ours are Israel and Luxembourg. When people look at various countries in Europe and look at the United States of America, New Zealand and Canada, they assume that they may have greater proportions of their population overseas-born than we have. Nothing could be further from the truth. If cultural diversity is a problem, we should have the most significant problems in the world. But we do not.

I think we do this exceptionally well through the programs that have been put in place over many decades to teach people English, to help ensure that they have recognised skills, to identify those who may come from a refugee and humanitarian experience and focus on the fact that they may have been tortured and traumatised and how are you going to deal with those sorts of issues, to provide welfare to people who may not be able to get employment, and to assist them in obtaining housing. If you look at the range of programs that we have put in place over a long period, we are a welcoming society, a welcoming community. We welcome people from all four corners of the earth, of every race, of every culture, of every religion. I make the point that as a welcoming society we do expect that people will have a commitment to this nation and its future. We invite them to come and be part of our society but we expect them to be as welcoming of all other Australians as we are welcoming of them.

This legislation, which does deal with the issue of citizenship deprivation, should not be seen as legislation that is in any way identifying or undermining our integrity as a welcoming nation for people of every religion, every culture, every race. It is about identifying properly those people who lack that commitment and ensuring that, where it is appropriate, we can withdraw the citizenship that we bestow so generously. I conclude my remarks by saying I think this bill as it has been amended is worthy legislation and legislation that we should all be very keen to support.

Debate adjourned.

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