Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At every citizenship ceremony, we proudly tell our new Australians that they are fully-fledged citizens and that there is no difference between their rights and those of any other Australian. We must show that we mean what we say. We cannot have first- and second-class Australians. Forty four point seven per cent of the people in my electorate of Perth were born overseas. I am picking up concern from some communities that they are no longer sure where they stand with this current debate on citizenship. We acknowledge the emergence of threatening non-state entities and agree that our current legislation needs to be updated so that we can respond appropriately where dual citizens are fighting against our interests, just as our current legislation provides for action against those fighting for hostile states. We need bipartisanship on national security, but we also need bipartisanship on our commitment to multiculturalism and our commitment to an immigrant nation—to ensure that there is no difference, either in law or in sentiment, between those who are here by birth and those who have come from overseas.

At the heart of our Western democracy is the commitment to the rule of law. As we respond to the threat from those who want to destroy that democracy, let us keep in plain sight the values that we are protecting and ensure that our citizens are always protected against the arbitrary exercise of power. (Time expired)