Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The world in which we live is incredibly and deeply connected. This brings opportunities, but also additional issues that we must, as a government, consider carefully. Tackling the growing threat of foreign interference is one such threat.

By investing over $71 million to tackle this, our government's ability to prosecute and deter foreign interference is greatly enhanced. Through investments in counterintelligence we help build and maintain systems that will protect Australians from potential acts of espionage and foreign interference. It is through these kinds of investments that we can ensure that the future of Australia is safe and secure, an outcome I'm sure is hoped for by all. We do this to protect our democracy. We do this because Australia is one of the most resilient, prosperous and democratic countries in the world, and we must make sure we are protecting it to the best of our ability.

We know that threats to Australians' data is an urgent national problem and we need to act now. Cybersecurity touches the lives of every Australian and, on average, one cybercrime is reported every six minutes, with ransomware alone causing up to $3 billion in damage to the Australian economy every year. This is a massive drain on Australians, and we must do all that we can to ensure we are safe as we see technology advance at a rapid rate.

As we protect Australians and our democracy, we must also remember the values that make us stronger and more united. Australia is a multicultural country. We need a system that is built to ensure that people are not only treated fairly, but provided with support as they settle into our great country. Through programs delivered by the Australian government, new migrants are supported when they arrive so that they are able to thrive.

The Albanese Labor government will always look at ways to improve Australia's migration system because we know that, by attracting migrants from around the world with an ongoing focus on skilled migration, we create jobs and drive productivity. Our government will invest $120.9 million from 2024-25 on a number of proven programs to deliver better economic and social outcomes for refugees. This funding includes $86.6 million to improve the sustainability of settlement services and $27 million to extend successful programs, including the Youth Transition Support program and support for refugee and migrant women experiencing domestic and family violence so they know what their rights are and where they stand in the law.

Our government will also provide additional funding of $15 million for an information and education package to combat migrant worker exploitation, building on our strong agenda of protecting vulnerable migrant workers who speak out and cracking down on employers who do the wrong thing. Additional measures for migrants include conversational English language classes in community hubs and further support for the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot, supporting the government's commitment on complementary protection.

These investments ensure newly resettled refuges in Australia are provided with the support they need to succeed in the community. When governments support, protect and nurture those newly arrived migrants and refugees, a country benefits immensely. History has always proven this. Look at how Australia benefited from the Fraser government's decision to take in refugees from Vietnam in the 1970s and how so many have thrived and succeeded in the 4½ decades since. It has made us as a country.

These programs are about building social cohesion, because we know that when we come together as a country we are stronger for it. The migration system we inherited was completely broken, and our goal is to build a better planned, more strategic migration system that works for Australia. National security and social cohesion go hand in glove, and it is not a political plaything for our government. Building and investing in Australia's future is what our government is all about, and we're getting on with the job of that.

See this speech in context