David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The Pacific engagement visa program will grow our Pacific diaspora. The pilot program will allow workers in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility program, the PALM, to bring their families to Australia with them. I welcome the expansion of the support these new arrivals will be entitled to, from education loans entitlements to family tax benefits. If we're going to talk about the Pacific family, we need to treat them like family.

I'm concerned, though, that the supports in this bill don't quite go far enough. As an Australian who comes from a family who migrated to Australia when I was a teenager, I'm keenly aware that the experience of migration can be hard. It's different for every person and family, but the process of learning about and integrating in a new culture can cause stress on individuals and the family unit. As at every high-stress time in life, things can happen: families can struggle or argue, jobs can turn out to be not what was expected and setting up for the future can be more expensive than was thought. In these situations, having a strong safety net to fall back onto is critical.

We haven't always done the right thing by our Pacific family, and we still aren't when it comes to our impact on the climate. Today we saw this place pass the sea dumping bill. People from the Pacific have lived and worked in Australia for centuries. At times the history of this relationship has been exploitative, and we are continuing to harm their homes today. Our government continues to expand the fossil fuel industry and is failing to show ambition on climate action. The reefs that the Pacific relies on are being bleached. The land they farm is being ruined by salt. Rising sea levels and extremes of weather are destroying their homes, and we are letting this happen. In fact, we are facilitating the expansion of the fossil fuel industry through the sea dumping bill. We've done so much damage to the Pacific over the years, and the very least we can do is provide every support we can to make sure that those who choose to migrate here can flourish as new Australians. We want them to become part of our communities. We want them to build their future here and support their families at home. We must give them the very best chance at their new lives.

Part of the purpose of this bill is to support people from the Pacific to set themselves up in Australia, to be economically successful and have the ability to send remittances home. There is hard evidence to show that this works. Over the last 30 years, remittances to those countries where out migration has been strong have boomed—for example, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. We know that migrants from the Pacific retain strong links with their home, and they send money home. These transfers support Pacific communities and they support the resilience of Pacific nations to withstand disasters and economic shocks. Remittances are like a form of insurance for small economies. A great example of this was seen during the coronavirus pandemic, when COVID was ripping through the Pacific and all tourism dollars dried up. We saw that remittances increased. People were worried about their families and their communities, so they sent money, and it helped their communities at home to manage.

To make this program work as best it can, new migrants need as much support to settle successfully as we can muster, and they need the support as soon as they arrive. This is especially important for women. The Pacific Engagement Visa requires that the primary visa holder has a job on arrival. This is a great head start, but we must remember that in many of these families there will be mums at home with young children. With the cost of living going crazy, trying to live on one wage is hard enough. Trying to do it knowing you've got no safety net to fall back on is something else altogether. In the early settlement period, new migrants are at a higher risk of family and domestic violence. One of the most common types of violence in this situation is coercive control, with financial control the biggest for women who are trying to gain some independence, or in some cases for women who are trying to leave. Providing assets to independent financial support for women is a huge protective factor for domestic and family violence.

For these key reasons, I've asked the government to consider expanding access to social security nets for newly arrived Pacific Engagement Visa holders. I've asked the government to do two things, and they have agreed. I'll move a second reading amendment to reflect the commitments they've given. I've asked them to put a monitoring and evaluation plan in place to evaluate the Pacific Engagement Visa program, to maximise successful settlement opportunities for newly arrived visa holders and their families, and to consider whether there is a need for further access to social services payments, including the parenting payment. I've also asked that they implement a consultation mechanism that includes DFAT, community leaders from the Pacific diaspora, settlement agencies, domestic and family violence services, and social welfare support services, and that this conversation group feeds into the overall evaluation. I have asked that this evaluation commence not more than 12 months after the arrival of the first Pacific Engagement Visa holders and for the findings to be considered in the subsequent budget process.

Migration to a new country is exciting but it is hard, and it is different for every individual and every family. People from Pacific islands will have much to contribute in this country. They will bring different perspectives, different skill sets, and I am sure will contribute in whatever community they find themselves moving to. We need to ensure that we set them up for success, that we support them and that they are able to contribute and be part of these communities while also supporting family back in their Pacific island countries.