Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We talk about immigration policy and straightaway we go to the politicising of the very nature of that policy. What the questions asked today and this motion by the opposition to take note have demonstrated are the very politicising of the incredibly complex issue that is immigration.

We know very well that this is not a straightforward issue. That is why we had experts in the field—experts from the military and from civil society—come together to provide expert policy advice for us, to look at the way we could improve immigration policy issues in this country. As members of the expert panel have said, the results will begin to show when the full suite of measures is implemented. But the relentless negativity of the opposition has prevented us from doing that. They do not want a solution on this issue because they want to continue to be able to politicise and create negativity and divisiveness within the Australian community.

It is very timely that we should be talking about this, because this is Refugee Week. It is a week in which we reflect on the contribution that refugees have made to our nation. It is a week in which we reflect on the contribution by made refugees who have settled here; who have come from war-torn countries, from places of conflict, to settle and live a life of comfort, stability and freedom and to rebuild their lives. It is a week in which we reflect upon the heritage that they have, upon the families perhaps that they have left behind in order to settle, rebuild and create a new life here. We welcome them to do so. We welcome them because we are a supportive, compassionate nation. We are a nation that is a signatory to the refugee convention, which entails us to take in a number of refugees a year—as do other developed countries around the world, such as the US, the European Union and the like—to ensure that we can do our bit for the displaced people around the world. It is a compassionate policy. We in the Labor Party stand by it because we are a party based on the values of compassion, equality and doing what is right for people. However, those on the other side want to do the opposite. They want to demonise and politicise when it comes to issues regarding those who are seeking asylum in this country. We have just heard all of it from Senator Cormann, who was talking about illegals. I do not know how many times he uses the word 'illegals'—he loves that word 'illegals'; it is a positive word, isn't it?