Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. How is the Albanese Labor government changing citizenship rules to provide a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealand citizens and to support long-term residents who have been building their lives in the Australian community?

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moreton for the question, and I recognise his longstanding advocacy on this issue for those in his community but also right around the country. This is basically an issue of fundamental fairness, an expression of our values, values we share with our friends over the ditch in New Zealand. Ours is a country that has been built by citizenship, which is that common bond that unites all of us—those of us who became Australians by birth and those who became Australian by choice. This lies at the heart of a unified, cohesive and inclusive nation.

Back in 2001, changes made by the Howard government made it much more difficult for New Zealanders in Australia to attain citizenship. This had the long-term impact of creating a generation of permanently temporary migrants in our country. We recognise that there are many New Zealanders here on special category visas who've been stuck without a clear pathway to citizenship despite their contribution, raising their families here, working, paying taxes, contributing in voluntary capacities and building lives in Australia. Through my entire time in parliament, I have been engaging with this community and listening to their stories, some of which are very challenging, particularly for some of the children in these families. I want to acknowledge all of those who have been telling these stories and sharing them with me and my colleagues—in particular, the Treasurer and the Minister for Home Affairs, who have been relentless advocates for their cause. I also want to recognise Oz Kiwi, the organisation that brought together this story.

We have listened and, under Prime Minister Albanese, we have acted. From 1 July, New Zealand citizens living in Australia will now have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship. All special category visa holders will be able to apply directly for citizenship as long as they meet the residency and other requirements. These are changes that reflect the closeness of our relationship. It's a fair change and, importantly, it reflects the circumstance of Australians living in New Zealand. It is important to note that, as a result of this change, eligible applicants will not be considered Australian residents as defined under the Social Security Act, but this will enhance people's economic and social integration with communities and provide additional opportunities, particularly for young people thinking about further study and more involvement in the ADF and the Australian Public Service.

We are prepared for these changes next month because we have done so much work dealing with the citizenship backlog. As I have informed the House previously, we have slashed processing times. There is more to be done in this respect, but the caseload of citizenship applications is now at its lowest level for more than six years. This will facilitate us making more real— (Time expired)