Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In less than six weeks, New Zealanders will again have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship. It has been more than 20 years since the Howard government closed off that route with seemingly little thought of the longer-term ramifications. Even now, talk from the coalition about this long-overdue reform centres on the supposed financial costs. Dan Tehan says that, while he agrees in principle with the reforms, the opposition wants to know the costs of changing rules that have been in place for a long time. I'm reminded of the Oscar Wilde saying about those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. I can tell you, from speaking to people in my community, what the cost of this policy has been: a generation of too many children, young people and teenagers who've been lost when it came to higher education, and a generation where too many skills were lost by this nation. That's a high economic price that this nation has already paid in lost productivity and more.

But let's look beyond the economics, beyond the dollars and cents. There were more personal and social costs arising from this policy—costs that affect this nation as a supposedly inclusive community: a generation of people who feel like second-class citizens, a generation of people who are actively discriminated against, a generation of people who feel that they don't belong and who don't have a stake in society. And we know what flows from that.

As pointed out by the committed advocates at West Justice, a community legal centre in my electorate, as noncitizens our friends from across the ditch could largely not access loans that would enable them to attend tertiary education, whether to go to university or to enrol in highly skilled TAFE courses. What a waste of talent, consigning these children to limited career options and a very uncertain future indeed. What a waste for our nation.

Imagine being a parent and sitting down with your teenager who is in year 9, which is when most students start to think about the elective subjects that will give them the best opportunity for a career and a fulfilling life. Imagine the conversation that follows, with parents explaining to their children that higher education simply isn't on the table for them. What do you think happens to that year 9 student—or to any person, for that matter—who has no pathway into higher education? Where is the motivation to study hard and to dream big when they know that the only future they can dream of is of limited employment options, regardless of how hard they study and regardless of how motivated they are?

For more than two decades we were happy to take the taxes these hardworking citizens paid but not to give them access to many of the rights that should flow from this. And it is not just access to the NDIS and many other social services but also—and I would say that in many ways this is more important—the feeling of belonging and that this is a nation that values their contribution. For years this nation has experienced a huge skills shortage. Is it any wonder, when we have not made the most of the talent that we have right here, living in our community—many individuals and many families who have lived here for very long periods of time? How many doctors, nurses, engineers, IT professionals, teachers and more have we not produced because of a discriminatory citizenship policy?

As Joe Nunweek, a lawyer with West Justice, pointed out, even for highly skilled people career pathways were often closed off because they were generally barred from working in Commonwealth jobs. But, more importantly, as Joe explains, these changes mean that New Zealanders living in this country will finally feel that much-needed sense of belonging to a nation, no longer feeling like second-class citizens. As the Prime Minister recently said, New Zealanders who are here in Australia paying taxes, contributing to the economy, should be treated with respect, and that's what this provision will do.

For far too long, New Zealanders who live, work and pay taxes in Australia have been left feeling permanently temporary. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement which brought Australia and New Zealand closer together by easing travel requirements between the two countries. What an apt time to reform our citizenship rules. I welcome the government's commitment to build a fairer and more inclusive migration system for New Zealanders living in Australia. I welcome the changes that better reflect the close relationship between our countries over decades.

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