Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration I present the committee's report, incorporating a dissenting report, on the inquiry into migration and multiculturalism in Australia, and I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

In Australian politics the topics of migration and multiculturalism can often inspire heated controversy. In fact, our political narrative over the years has weathered many debates that too often have sought to raise alarm about people or groups of people coming to Australia, the circumstances under which they come here and the possible impact they may have on the cohesion of the Australian community.

So today I am especially pleased to present this report, which is the result of two years of work.

I want to begin by thanking the deputy chair and all our colleagues on the Joint Standing Committee on Migration for their collaboration, dedication and commitment to this inquiry.

The terms of reference were broad, and the inquiry has covered a lot of ground. We have received over 500 submissions, held 27 hearings in city and regional areas and have made 32 recommendations, which essentially, broadly speaking, have bipartisan support. The committee worked in a collaborative manner, and we have produced a report that responds to the evidence that was put before us.

The history of Australia is a story that begins with the ancient custodians of our land, our Indigenous people, and continues through from early white settlement to today. So, from ancient beginnings to settlement and ultimately to modern nation building, the building of modern Australia is also a migrant story.

Our challenge as a nation has always been the continued struggle to reconcile our Indigenous identity with that of our modern identity.

Australia is one of the most diverse nations on earth. We are, as I said, a country with an ancient Indigenous inheritance and a contemporary multicultural society. Unlike in Europe, immigration into Australia has always been a nation building exercise. We also live in a changing world. Like every society, we are open to the influences of globalisation, wars and economic crises.

Migration and people movement is a characteristic of the world that we live in.

History tells us that forced assimilation does not work, and respect for differences within a unifying system of government, based on democracy and human rights, is a far better model.

Within that framework multiculturalism is a policy that values and respects diversity and promotes inclusiveness within the framework of Australian laws.

It was on this basis that, in the seventies, we saw the official adoption of multiculturalism as a bipartisan public policy. I am pleased this committee has wholeheartedly endorsed multiculturalism as the framework through which to respond to the diversity of our community.

I want to spend some time highlighting a few of the major findings and recommendations in this report, and I understand that the deputy chair will also be making some comments on this report today.

Achieving settlement, integration and participation is a long-term and, in some cases, intergenerational process that requires a whole-of-government approach. Better coordination across all three tiers of government, including local government, would ensure better outcomes.

Rebuilding research capacity in immigration and multiculturalism is a priority to ensure policy and programming is well informed, tailored and effective. I am referring here to qualitative and not just quantitative research and the importance of growing a new generation of researchers with expertise in this field. I feel this will stand us in good stead, as we add our voice and our experience to the emerging global narrative around multiculturalism, as a way of promoting peace and democracy.

At the practical level we have recommended greater flexibility in the provision of English language training, and support for micro enterprises, especially for women, to enable them to realise their full potential. There is ample evidence that migrants, including refugees, are entrepreneurial and, with a small amount of support, there is huge potential to change people's lives. Flexibility is the key, especially for refugees, young people and women caring for children, or men who are also trying to work.

The committee received evidence that the job services network is not catering as well as it could to people of diverse backgrounds. This is an important publically funded front-line service and we believe this issue warrants further investigation.

The skilled migrant program is very important, but the recognition of overseas qualifications and work experience remains an issue. There are also many highly educated and skilled people who come through the humanitarian program. No-one should be left behind, and Australia can ill afford to waste such expertise.

On a more positive note, there were several examples of diaspora communities facilitating international trade, and local collaborations to create new social enterprises and work placement initiatives. The committee was impressed by the enthusiasm and success of initiatives that included cross-cultural awareness and mentoring, and led to permanent employment or the start of a new business.

Australia is a positive and forward-looking country that benefits from the hope, aspirations and skills of migrants, including refugees. We have much to be proud of but we cannot afford to be complacent and need to continue to foster integration and social cohesion.

There are many challenges along the way. Some of the more recent challenges include the heightened concern about terrorism, which has impacted, often adversely, on Australians of Islamic faith.

The intense focus on boat arrivals, many of whom are, in recent times, fleeing conflict in the broader Middle East and Sri Lanka, has become a matter of public concern and debate. The migration program has changed, and temporary skilled labour and international students are also a large part of the overall mix.

The picture is complex, but Australian society is resilient and can meet the challenge and retain its record as an open, stable, cohesive society.

This has been a very rewarding inquiry. While there will be debate about the migration program, wise political leadership is vital to this debate, because we all recognise that migration has enriched our country.

It is our responsibility to enable all Australians, including new migrants and refugees, to enjoy equal opportunity.

I present a document to this parliament, which members of the committee and I are very proud of, more so because it is a document that has reached consensus, notwithstanding the concerns that will be noted in the clarifying statement. It is a document that will stand as an important source of reference and, hopefully, guidance as to how we can continue to shape the success and cohesion of Australian society and, indeed, the global community.

On a personal note, September this year marks 50 years since my father and late mother brought my sister and I to Australia. We are one family amongst millions of others who were called Arthur Calwell's 'New Australians'.

I want to pay tribute to Arthur Calwell, Australia's first immigration minister, and I thank his daughter Mary Elizabeth Calwell, my friend, who has helped me understand better the bold and visionary thinking that drove Australia's biggest migration program yet—the post World War II migration program.

I want to thank the secretariat staff for their professionalism and hard work. Their competency has brought this work together into the document before the House today. Committee members and I share their jubilation that, yes, we have finally finished.

And finally, I want to thank the honourable Chris Bowen, the then Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, for referring this topic for inquiry, and commend the recommendations to the government and to the parliament.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a parliamentary paper.

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to speak on the inquiry into multiculturalism in Australia, and I join with the chair in commending this report to the House. I acknowledge all members who attended the inquiry and the hearings and who also laboured over the deliberations that brought about the final report. I thank them all. I also want to acknowledge the secretariat for their hard work, patience and diligence in bringing this report to its final conclusion.

As the member for Calwell has already acknowledged, this has been a lengthy inquiry indeed. The terms of reference were first accepted by the committee from the minister on 9 February 2011. Since then, we have received 513 submissions and 22 supplementary submissions and conducted 27 public hearings around the nation, not just in capital cities but also in regional Australia. The views presented in response to the terms of reference were vast and varied, often strongly felt and often presented with passion and debate.

This inquiry focused on the economic, social and cultural impacts of migration in Australia. The committee aimed to ensure wherever possible that recommendations maximised the positive impacts of migration. The first and second terms of reference addressed the issue of multiculturalism. It is a term that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. It has been known to contribute to division and hearty debate. But it is important to highlight that while we are indeed a migrant nation, apart from the first Australians, our focus ought to be on what communities share in common as Australians, on what our future direction ought to be, on how our nation benefits and on the ways in which it is unique within a global context. As in the famous song, we are one yet we are many. This was reflected in the personal stances and histories of the committee members. Many of us either married or were born into a family with a migrant heritage or were migrants.

The second and third terms of reference dealt with settlement and participation. The questions were about challenges that require solutions, what is working and where the gaps are for our new migrants—including refugees—that should be filled to facilitate and enable them to participate and integrate into all aspects of society. The fifth, sixth and seventh terms of reference told the story of how migration has helped to build this great nation, particularly in the area of long-term productivity and our capacity to improve productivity in the decades ahead. Other terms of reference also examined the profile of skilled migration in this nation and how the entrepreneurial and business acumen of migrants have enhanced Australia and will continue to be significant. Coming to an agreement on the 32 recommendations required much discussion and debate among those of us who attended not just the hearings but also the final drafting. The report is largely collaborative.

For all but our first Australians, current and past generations of migrants have chosen to come to this land and to call this land their home. While undoubtedly our ethnic background is important, our choice to call Australia home determines our future direction and where our responsibilities and our loyalties lie. Scott Morrison, in a speech, delivered to the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at Kings College in London described our successful and uniquely Australian story. I will quote from his speech:

You all know the story I’m sure—more than 770,000 refugees have been resettled since the Second World War and we have welcomed more than 7.2 million migrants from around the globe.

Each generation has their own unique story; from those who came from old England to seek a better life in the colony; or from Asia to seek their fortune on the goldfields to those who came from Europe and New Zealand to fight alongside us, shedding their blood in defence of their Australia and to those who came from a war-wounded world to build the Snowy Mountain Hydro Scheme and modern Australia.

That tradition continues to this day; one in four Australians were born overseas.

However, this success story is no accident. It is the result of a carefully planned, merits based, non-discriminatory and orderly immigration program that has, by and large, received the overwhelming support of the Australian community.

Supporting that migration program has been a settlement policy that is supposed to be about enabling people to adopt their new society by embracing our values, learning English, getting a job and getting involved in Australian life.

For the past four decades multiculturalism has dominated the policy orthodoxy on social cohesion in Australia. The primary focus of multiculturalism has been to build an appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity to combat intolerance and discrimination that was denying Australians the opportunity to fully participate in Australian life. It has had success in this regard.

The Howard Government's policy statement, A New Agenda for Multicultural Australia, sought to shift this emphasis of multicultural policy and adopted the term ‘Australian multiculturalism’ to bring a greater focus on what communities had in common as Australians.

The policy deliberately set out to explicitly recognize the supremacy of Australian values, the primacy of the English language, respect for existing institutions and adherence to the rule of law.

Further on in his speech, Mr Morrison says:

We should acknowledge in the debate, as I do, that a consensus has emerged on the existence and benefits of ethnic, racial and religious diversity in our society. Having affirmed this consensus we must then ask what practical policies are needed to remove the new barriers that are emerging.

That is certainly the question we endeavoured to answer throughout the inquiry.

While the concept of multiculturalism has been subject to debate and review over time, a commitment to multiculturalism to manage the diversity within the framework of Australian values and law has had the broad support of Australian governments for over 30 years. Chapter 2 of the report provides a brief history of Australia's multiculturalism and migration trends. It is important to note that in 2011-12 the total number of people who took out Australian citizenship was 95,776, up from 85,916 in 2010-11. Australia now has one of the highest take-up rates of citizenship among OECD countries, with nearly 80 per cent of the Australian population being citizens. This reminds us of, and is a reason for, our success. The more than 200 pages of the report and the 32 recommendations show the breadth and complexity of the issues that we endeavoured to address throughout the inquiry.

There is not enough time to talk to all of the issues or the recommendations in the chamber today. I would like to focus briefly on the clarifying statement that the coalition members made. The current fiscal environment is of great concern to coalition members and senators. We therefore felt that there was a need to qualify under what conditions some of the recommendations could be implemented.

I would like to highlight and make some comments on some of the issues and recommendations. Firstly, the lack of research was very evident throughout the inquiry. Many of the questions that we asked could not answered because of the lack of data that was available. It is vital as we move forward and develop policy into the future that it is based on evidence.

The question of Islam was raised throughout the report and, of course, in a number of our public hearings. As the report notes, the government and the coalition have consistently stated that the implementation of Sharia law is not being contemplated. While religious diversity is to be respected, the final arbiter is compliance with the Australian law. Recommendation 6 highlights this, where the committee has agreed not to support legal pluralism.

The committee noted that in order to integrate and secure employment in Australia it is beneficial for migrants to have a command of the English language. Chapter 9, on settlement and participation, investigates particularly the issues of English language training and cultural competency. A number of submissions identified the need for greater flexibility in the delivery of English programs, particularly for new migrants. Recommendations 18 and 19 deal with this.

I would finally like to comment particularly on the fact that migrants have high-profile business success in Australia. In 2011, three out of the top 10 of Australia's richest people were migrants. Their determination, hard work and commitment to overcome barriers and challenges has not only ensured their own success but also has created jobs for other Australians and built wealth in this nation. The NEIS, as has been noted in the report, could further promote and develop growth, particularly for new migrants and businesses.

I would like to acknowledge, again, the member for Calwell's contribution in leading this inquiry. Her willingness to accommodate all views on the committee to come to a collaborative report has been appreciated by all members of the committee. Again, I acknowledge the work of the secretariat. Their commitment, dedication and diligence to encapsulate all the views of all members' of the committee, all submissions and evidence that was provided and the various views of the Australian people is well reflected in the report. I again thank them. I commend the report to the House.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Debate adjourned.

Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for a later hour.