Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that 2017 marks 70 years since the Philippines established its first diplomatic office in Australia;

(2) celebrates the strength of the bilateral diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines over those 70 years; and

(3) acknowledges the importance of effective diplomatic relations with the Philippines, which are underpinned by our shared history and deep and enduring relationship.

It is with great pleasure that I move this motion today, and I thank the member for Werriwa for being willing to second the motion enthusiastically. The Filipino community is one of the largest and most energetic groups in the electorate of Chifley. People from the Philippines are the third-largest ancestry group in Chifley, with 18,000 calling the area home. That is over 10 per cent of the total population of the electorate. They make up 10 per cent of the 171,000 Filipinos in Australia. That has made Chifley, out of the 150 seats of the federal parliament, the seat with the largest number of Filipinos that reside within it, and I am working very hard to make sure it stays that way. I call many Filipinos in Western Sydney friends, and I have been so grateful for their support of me both as a candidate and as an MP.

The number of Filipino people moving into the country has accelerated since the 1980s. Many came to challenge themselves with higher education, with 10,000 Filipinos studying in Australia every year. Others have started small businesses to contribute to local economies across the nation, and more still have come as skilled migrants, adding valuable expertise to the Australian workforce. They make a contribution to the broader Australian community socially as well as economically. The diaspora is extremely active in community groups across the nation, many of which I have had the opportunity to engage with in Western Sydney.

There is always a danger singling out groups but I would like to make reference to a number of them in our area: the Association of Golden Australian Pilipinos Inc, or AGAPI; Sydney Australian-Filipino Seniors Inc, or SAFSI; Banag-Banag Inc; the Philippine Australian Community Services Inc, or PACSI; Bicol Incorporated; and the Philippine Community Council of New South Wales. There is also the important support provided by the Filipino chaplaincy of the Diocese of Parramatta. And it would be remiss of me not to give a shout-out to my friends who let me play basketball with them at the Rooty Hill Leisure Centre, many of them Filipinos, who are great players and pretty energetic. I am sorry if I have missed any, but there are so many active groups across our area. Filipinos in Australia are more likely to be employed, to have skilled managerial or professional occupations and to have completed higher education—all traits underlining the Filipino community's willingness and ability to contribute to Australia's prosperity and cohesion.

What we are celebrating today is Australia's relationship with the Philippines. It began in the 1800s. It was cemented in modern times when Philippines President Manuel L Quezon came to Australia in 1942 during World War II. More than 4,000 Australian service personnel fought alongside Filipino forces during World War II. Now we are celebrating 70 years since the Philippines opened its first diplomatic office in Australia—a massive milestone. In 1947, the Philippines established the first foreign mission in Sydney, kicking off a long and fruitful relationship. In 1948, Consul General Manuel A Alzate and eight officials opened the first consular office in Elizabeth Bay. That office was elevated to the status of embassy in 1956 with head of mission Roberto Regala becoming the first Philippine ambassador to Australia. The Philippine embassy then moved to Canberra in 1961, while the consulate remained in Sydney.

Seventy years on from the opening of that first office, I am delighted that the Philippine ambassador to Australia, Minda Calaguian-Cruz is here today—and I thank you for coming to this special occasion—accompanied by the ACT consul general, Nina Cainglet, and it is fantastic that she is also here today, and Sydney consul general, Anne Jalando-on Louis. I have had a great opportunity of working with Anne, as has the member for Werriwa, and seeing her at all the Filipino events across the years. Anne is returning shortly to the Philippines, and we thank her for her service.

Amanda Gorley is the Australian ambassador in the Philippines. This is the 71st year since Australia opened a consular office in Manila in 1946. Australia's people-to-people relationship with the Philippines remains strong. It will continue to do so in the future as more Filipinos come here to study and work and more Australian businesses reach into South-East Asia. Our nations work together to promote peace and stability in the region. The relationship will go from strength to strength.

Finally, I want to thank Filipinos living in Chifley, across Western Sydney and in the rest of Australia. May our next 70 years be just as strong as the first. I would like to thank them in a way that respects them deeply by saying, 'Maraming salamat mabuhay'.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Chifley and the member for Werriwa for bringing this very important motion to the parliament. It is very important to acknowledge the relationship between Australia and the Philippines reaching this milestone. There is a special connection between Australia and the Philippines. I note that the Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia. That is not to make a sectarian statement; it is to acknowledge that both of our countries have a system of laws, customs and traditions that are really based on Judaeo-Christianity. I think that has gone a long way to serve us as very close friends. Forgive me, Filipino members in the audience here, for my Tagalog, but, 'Magkaibigan tayo, mga kaibigan para sa pitumpung taon.' 'We are friends for 70 years'.

As the Chair of the Australia-Philippines Parliamentary Group in this parliament, it is my great pleasure to speak on this motion. Since I have been here we have had two ambassadors that I have conversed with regularly, former ambassador Belen Anota and, now, Her Excellency Mrs Minda Calaguian-Cruz, who is in the chamber. I also acknowledge the Consul General, Nina Cainglet, and other members of the team, certainly the family of Minda, and particularly Jim San Agustin, whom I have had a few dealings with as well. I want to acknowledge the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo 'Rody' Duterte—Digong, or 'The Punisher', as he is sometimes known. I think he is one of the great world leaders, very strong on the issue of drugs. I know that is controversial, but it is a problem in their country that he is certainly dealing with in a way that, it seems, the Filipino community over there support.

I note that Belen Anota, the former ambassador, visited Mackay at my invitation back in July 2015. There she met the Filipino Australian Community Association of Mackay and District Incorporated. It was a great event. The president of the association is Enrique Neri, and a lot of the people associated with that group are good friends of mine. A very strong supporter of mine, a person I am happy to say is a good friend, is an elder of the Filipino community in Mackay, Mar Gorian. Also I want to mention Daniel Vinzon, Tony Dela Cruz and Edna Walpole, who are all spectacular leaders of their community.

I have visited the Philippines many times. On the last occasion over there I met with our ambassador, Amanda Gorely, and visited the Congress. I got an audience with the Speaker, 'Bebot' Alvarez, and we had an excellent conversation about the relationship between our parliaments and between our countries. I also got to meet with the chair of the National Defense and Security Committee of Congress, Amado Espino—and I will mention a bit about him and that conversation later.

Before that, I also met up with our political counsellor over there, Richard Rodgers, in our embassy. In the previous Congress we went to meet 'Sonny' Belmonte, who was the former Speaker there. Along with that I have engaged with Gawad Kalinga, a very big charity organisation in the Philippines, and was pleased to meet with Tito 'Tony' Meloto, who is a great advocate for the poor in that country. His philosophy of making capitalism—enterprise and entrepreneurship—work for people in poverty is something we could all learn from.

In the conversation I had with current speaker Alvarez we did talk about the situation which has blown up in recent times in Mindanao. There is a very big problem in the Philippines with Abu Sayyaf and the rise of the extreme Islamist tendencies within Abu Sayyaf, and it is playing out in Marawi in a terrible way at the moment. We think of them all at this point in time. There are air strikes on the city that are reinforcing what the Philippines armed forces are doing on the ground. Australia provide some support with its defence to the Philippines on this front, but in the conversation I had with Speaker Alvarez I said I think there is more that we could be doing. If our government moved to support troops on the ground to assist the Filipinos in their fight, certainly that is something I would be very supportive of.

Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to second the motion moved by my colleague the member for Chifley. I would also like to acknowledge the presence today of the Philippines' Ambassador to Australia and the Consul General of the Philippines in Canberra.

As noted in the member for Chifley's remarks, the motion celebrates the strength of bilateral diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines over the last 70 years. It seeks to acknowledge the importance of effective diplomatic relations for both countries, which is underscored by the fact that we have signed more than 120 agreements aimed at promoting political, security, economic and cultural linkages and cooperation.

Although this motion focuses on the development of our diplomatic relationship in the Philippines since 1947, it is worth noting that the relationship between our two nations began long before the establishment of diplomatic ties. In 1901, an early Australian census identified 700 Filipinos who were working on trading ships and in the pearling industry across Australia. However, the bond between our two nations was truly forged during World War II, when more than 4,000 Australian troops fought side by side with Filipino and Allied Forces on Philippine soil. It was not long after this time that Australia and the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations, ensuring our two countries would always have a close relationship based not just on our geographical proximity but also our shared history.

Migration between our two countries increased significantly from 1980. As many of you know, and as the member for Chifley told us, Western Sydney is now home to 28 per cent of Australia's Filipino Tagalog speakers. People of Filipino descent are one of my electorate's largest and fastest-growing population groups. At the last census, 3,500 people in Werriwa identified as coming from the Philippines, and this number of course does not include thousands of children born in Australia to Australian-Filipino parents.

The Filipino community in Australia continues to grow at a staggering pace, with over 250,000 Filipinos now calling Australia home, making it the sixth largest migrant community in Australia. However, Australia's deep relationship with the Philippines has not only delivered important cultural and people-to-people links but also encompasses significant trade and economic ties. The trade relationship between our nations has been developed through decades of mutual cooperation and exchange, and it has supported and underpinned the establishment of diplomatic ties 70 years ago.

In addition to trade ties, Australia's diplomatic relations with the Philippines has facilitated one of Australia's largest growing development assistant programs. In 2013, Australia was the largest provider of development assistance, providing funds for programs that assist educational outcomes, strengthening the public service and delivering infrastructure. On top of the development assistance, Australia has also contributed to recovery efforts after natural disasters in the Philippines, including medical mission teams who worked alongside other Filipino and international humanitarian organisations in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The relationship between our countries has never have just been a one-way street, with the Filipino community in Australia making long-lasting and significant contributions to civil society through employment, the arts, sport and various community groups. A wonderful example of this contribution in my own electorate is Councillor Rey Manoto, who has recently elected to Campbelltown City Council. Councillor Manoto has continued to display his unwavering commitment to those in his community who are less fortunate and to representing the Filipino community in Western Sydney with great distinction. Without the contributions of individuals like Councillor Manoto, as well as the entire Filipino community, Werriwa, Western Sydney and Chifley would certainly be a far lesser place, and we recognise and thank them very much. This was highlighted for me only a couple of weeks ago when I attended the 22nd Flores de Mayo Santa Cruzan celebration at All Saints, Liverpool, which was hosted by Fil-Oz Liverpool and Districts Inc. Also in attendance there was the Consul-General from Sydney who was about to leave us. The event was a wonderful celebration of Filipino culture and promoted even further goodwill between the Filipino and Australian community in my electorate.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again to call on the House to join me in celebrating the strength of bilateral diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines over the last 70 years. I commend the motion to the House.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to rise on this occasion and support the motion by my friend the member for Chifley recognising 70 years since we had the first Philippines diplomatic office in Australia. I acknowledge the ambassador, Her Excellency the Consul-General and her entourage. I think it is a sign of the esteem in which you were held that, even in the hectic time of parliament towards the end of the session, we all wanted to be here in order to convey these sentiments.

Following on from my friend the member for Werriwa's comments, Anne Jalando-on Louis, your predecessor, I said on many occasions, must have been the hardest working diplomat in the corps. It is certainly no reflection on anyone else, but it is certainly a standard which sets the Philippines embassy and consulates apart. For that, we all thank you.

As the member for Chifley would have said, we are so proud in the Blacktown local government area to be home to what I believe is still about 70 per cent of all Filipinos in Australia—and they have made their mark. They have made their mark in academia and small business. I particularly want to note how much they have made their mark in the community through volunteerism in a range of sectors, everything from seniors to Lions clubs to established Rotary groups. Without fail, you can go to any one of these clubs in our local areas and it will be run or held together by someone of Filipino descent. We have a very rich history of Filipino Australians, and it is one that we celebrate, as not only as a multicultural country but as a country that places immense value on what the Filipino community has brought to us.

I want to touch on something that I have been thinking about in the context of Australia's relationship with a number of other countries in our region, including Fiji and India. In Australia, in this parliament and in our media, we need not just to focus on the relationships when times are tough. Too often, I believe, we see the Philippines, for example, on the news at difficult times—during Typhoon Yolanda, for example, and I acknowledge that Australians have been very generous when it comes to natural disasters in the Philippines. But I must say that, in my opinion, there has been scant and, indeed, disproportionate coverage given to other events that are going on at the moment in the Philippines. I will not spell them all out as I think we all know what they are, but that is the kind of news that needs to feature, front and centre. We should not have to use a search engine to find out the current state of events happening in the Philippines, particularly where those involve terrorism. They should be front and centre. Australia is part of the Asia-Pacific region and we should be pushing to ensure that our dialogue recognises that. I look forward not only to the next 70 years but certainly to an enduring relationship between our two great nations.

I will never forget one of the orations that the outgoing consul general gave at one of the Philippine Independence Day events. She talked about how her father was a man of great integrity and principle in the Philippines at a time when it was dangerous to be so. I think we should acknowledge that there are many people of Filipino descent in our communities who stood up for things that they believed in and stood up for what was right. When we talk about Australian values, those are the kinds of values that I think we should hold dear.

So I honour your presence here today, Your Excellencies. I thank the member for Chifley and those on the other side, who have spoken so eloquently in this. It demonstrates the cross-party support for our relationship. This entire parliament celebrates this anniversary. Mabuhay! I am not as good as the member for Chifley, who can speak much more Tagalog than I can, but long live the Philippines. Long live the Australian-Filipino relationship.

Tim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great privilege to rise to support this motion moved by the member for Chifley. Not only does he have a better jump shot than me on the basketball court but his command of Tagalog is also much better than mine—but I will do my best with a very exuberant 'Mabuhay!', cross my fingers and see how we go. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Ambassador Her Excellency Minda Calaguian-Cruz and the ACT consul general, Ms Nina Cainglet. It is lovely to be in your presence today. I join those members from the western suburbs of Sydney, who have a predominant, very vibrant and diverse contingent of people from the Philippines in their electorates. I also join with the celebration on the western side of the country. There are about 20,000 Philippines-born people living in Western Australia, and there is an incredibly vibrant and active community in my electorate of Perth. Indeed, I had to give my apologies a few weeks ago to the Filipino Australian Multicultural Association dinner to celebrate the Philippines independence day as a result of physically not being able to be in two places on two sides of the country at once. But I made up for it in the year before, again with the member for Chifley—we are spending so much time together these days people might start talking! He accompanied me—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Tim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is perhaps right; keep talking! He accompanied me, I am pleased to say, on 12 June 2016 in the course of a very busy federal campaign to celebrate the declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1898. We had a wonderful dinner with the Filipino community in my hometown of Perth.

Of course, as we know, the declaration itself refers to a series of events stretching all the way back to Ferdinand Magellan, famed in Western history for circumnavigating the globe, whom the declaration disavows in an instrument of bloody colonial subjugation. Of course, Magellan did not complete his circumnavigation; it was concluded by one of his officers. He was killed in the Battle of Mactan. Even after 350 years of Spanish colonial rule the Filipino people and their unique culture have survived and thrived both at home and in Perth.

I would like to convey my gratitude to those in the Filipino Australian Multicultural Association back home in WA, Anita Kinkela and the entire Famas team, for what they do for our local Perth Filipino community and indeed for the community more broadly. They raise an enormous amount of money for charity and each year they hold a wonderful Christmas lunch for people experiencing homelessness and seniors without families.

This motion goes to the strong diplomatic relationship between Australia and the Philippines, which has now lasted for 70 years. Diplomatic contact began in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, when Ben Chifley—after whom the member for Chifley's seat is named—led Australia's post-war recovery and our nation's first steps in the new world order that emerged. At the same time, the Philippines were emerging from the authority of American rule to which it has been subject since Spain ceded the colony to the United States in the Treaty of Paris in 1898.

Here we find ourselves, two very close neighbours, both shaking off our colonials pasts to make sure that we all take our places acting on the world stage, leading by example and by conduct and celebrating ethnicity, diversity and all of the wonderful things it has to offer. The relationship is close enough to sustain seven consulates in the state and territory capitals as well as the embassy in Canberra. I note that the Philippines Consulate-General in Perth is temporarily closed, and I very much look forward to its reopening very shortly.

Whenever I have the honour of attending a Filipino community event I am struck by the fabric of the strength of the community in Western Australia. The community knows how to look after each other, how to look after others and how to create a true sense of community. They also really know how to throw a party. This year, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first Philippines diplomatic office in Australia it is a true privilege to be part of the party and part of this motion. I commend the motion to the House. Once again, mabuhay!

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Again, I commend the member for Chifley and the member for Werriwa on this motion. All that has been said is so true. We have 70 years of friendship. We wonder why there has been such strong friendship. The members talked about values and the values between Filipinos and Australians being very similar. There are a number of Filipino values, and when you look at them, they line up with Australian values.

Again, apologies for my Tagalog, but the first value is known as pakikipagkapwa tao, which in Australia is egalitarianism, mateship and family values. I stayed with a family that lived in Negros Oriental. Yes, I had to use the tabo. But the reality was, when we are talking about differences between Australia and the Philippines we talked about aged-care centres. They looked on in horror at the concept of an aged-care centre, because their families keep their elders with them as they get older and look after them. Biro, or joy an humour, is an Australian characteristic as well. The Prime Minister would love the fact that among the Filipino traits are flexibility, adaptability and creativity. They certainly are terminologies that have been used in recent times. The faith and religiosity of the Filipino people is another value which is shared by many in Australia. The ability to survive, as we have seen through events like Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, and other disasters. We have cyclones and bushfires here in Australia, so we have that connection of surviving the harshness of nature. Hard work and industry: the Filipino people are known for migrating right around the world and going right around the world to work. That is something that we value in this country. Finally, there is hospitality, which again goes to the mateship.

It is easy to see why our two countries have had that friendship for such a long time. The values that the Filipino people subscribe to are the same values that the Australian people subscribe to. I could add another value that I subscribe to—karaoke singing—but we will not go there.

In conclusion, because I want my contribution to be brief: Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Long live the Philippines! And long live the connection between our two countries.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order for the next day of sitting.