Keynote Address Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) Conference - 'Strengthening multiculturalism and building social inclusion'
Speeches
Date: 30 October 2009
Acknowledgements
Senator Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Volunteer Sector
Dr Sharman Stone MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Mr Shaun Brown, Managing Director SBS
Professor Gary Bouma, Chair 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions
Mr Hass Dellal OAM, Executive Director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation
Mr Ikebal Patel, President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Ms Voula Messimeri AM, Chair FECCA
Mr Andrew Demetriou, Chair Australian Multicultural Advisory Council
Introduction
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Firstly, I would like to formally acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of these lands and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.
I would also like to convey my best wishes to all the delegates here today in Shepparton.
It is apt that the theme of your conference is on strengthening multiculturalism and building social inclusion.
It has not been a great week for social inclusion. Sadly, we have seen the return of a divisive debate which lacks any evidence-based framework or perspective on the public policy challenge. It is the sort of debate which I had hoped we had put behind us.
This week we have seen various politicians make comments that raise the threat of disease, terrorism, abuse of welfare payments and Muslim migration and settlement.
Some of that commentary came from former Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews, who should know better. Mr Andrews knows that Australia's migration program does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion.
His government had a large, non-discriminatory migration and humanitarian program which doubled the Muslim population of Australia.
To raised doubts about Muslim settlement in the midst of this week's refugee debate can only have been deliberate and designed to promote discord.
We, as a Government will defend the changes we have made in immigration policy. We have maintained tough border protection measures while implementing a more humane system of treating asylum seekers.
We are not a Government that supports open borders as some advocates do. We have a responsibility to control our borders and manage those seek entry to our country. Australians rightly respect that the government will only allow authorised entry and orderly migration within a system with integrity.
The Rudd Government is committed to that strong border security and management. We believe that this is not inconsistent with a strong commitment to refuge resolution and resettlement and the humane treatment of those who have come seeking our protection.
And we think that is a better reflection of Australia's values.
I don't think anyone is arguing, even the Liberal Party, even Philip Ruddock, that we go back to locking kids up behind barbed wire, separating them from their families and leaving people in long-term, indefinite detention so they become so desperate as they seek to self-harm.
Since coming to office we have increased our funding assistance to international agencies including UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration and increased our engagement with other regional nations, Indonesia in particular.
This has included working to resolve Indonesia's protracted caseloads in partnership with other countries, including New Zealand.
But the focus on what happens in Indonesia has meant that scant attention has been paid to how those arrangements with Indonesia fit with the international protection system for refugees and Australia's contribution to that.
Some have claimed that to do anything other than accept immediate resettlement of anyone claiming asylum in Indonesia is to abandon our commitment to the Refugee Convention and humanity.
That is complete nonsense and ignores the reality of the challenge.
At the end of 2008 there were 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 15.2 million refugees.
Developing countries hosted 8.4 million refugees, or 80 per cent of the global refugee population. The 49 least developed countries provided asylum to 18 per cent. One third of all refugees were residing in the Asia and Pacific region.
That is the enormity of the problem and that is the reality.
Some of the most important refugee hosting countries in the world are developing countries that are not parties to the Refugees Convention. At the end of 2008 Pakistan, hosted the largest number of refugees in the world, with 1.8 million refugees, virtually all from Afghanistan. Syria was host to 1.1 million Iraqi refugees, making it the second largest refugee hosting country at year end.
In our region there are tens-of-thousands of refugees in Thailand and a relatively small number in Indonesia. Again, those countries are not parties to the Refugees Convention but both work with UNHCR and facilitate the resettlement of refugees to third countries.
For most refugees, though, the best solution is to be able to return to their home country when it is safe.
According to UNHCR, voluntary repatriation to their home country is a durable solution which has historically benefited the largest number of refugees.
Regrettably it can often be many years until voluntary repatriation is possible.
UNHCR estimates that some 5.7 million refugees are living in a situation of protracted displacement, having spent five years or more in exile.
Where voluntary repatriation or local integration in the country of asylum are not viable solutions, UNHCR looks to refer refugees for resettlement to a third country.
However, resettlement benefits relatively few refugees. In 2008, less than one per cent of the world's refugees were resettled in third countries.
Over the past 10 years, some 807,000 refugees have been resettled, compared to 11 million refugees who were able to return to their home country.
It is a massive global challenge and one that Australia plays its part in a humane and comprehensive way. Our approach has three main elements.
The first is to provide assistance and aid to countries of origin to stabilise situations and assist people who are able to return safely.
The second is to support asylum seekers in neighbouring countries or as close as possible to their country of origin, in order to share the burden of hosting refugees.
The third is to assist in the resettlement of refugees for whom UNHCR considers that to be the appropriate solution.
Australia's aid contribution to Afghanistan in 2008-09 totalled nearly $33 million and we have resettled 5200 Afghan refugees since 2005-06.
We have supported a variety of projects to assist Burmese refugees along the Thai border and assist displaced Burmese Rohingya in Bangladesh. Since 2005-06 more than 8500 Humanitarian visas have been granted to Burmese.
In 2008-09 Australia provided $24.5 million in aid for Sri Lankan civilians to provide food, medical supplies, shelter, water and sanitation.
In Iraq the Australian Government committed $60 million for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in 2008-09 and provided support for displaced Iraqis in countries in Syria and Jordan. Plus, we have resettled about 8600 Iraqis under our Humanitarian program since 2005-06.
Our arrangements in Indonesia are in many ways similar to what we do in Pakistan, along the Thai Burma border, and in places like Syria and Jordan. We provide support for refugees in a country of asylum pending a durable solution, while also assisting in the resettlement of those whom UNHCR determines to be in need.
Under our regional cooperation arrangements, Indonesia allows irregular migrants intercepted en route to Australia to remain in Indonesia under the care of the IOM, with any protection claims referred to the UNHCR for assessment.
In 2002 the Director-General of Indonesian Immigration issued a directive that no asylum-seekers are to be deported and they must be referred to the UNHCR in Indonesia. Cases found to be owed protection and determined by the UNHCR to be in need of resettlement are referred to third countries.
Cases referred to Australia are processed in the same way as cases referred by UNHCR in any other country. Australia is one of a number of countries, including Canada, USA, New Zealand, Sweden and France that have been active in resettling refugees processed in Indonesia.
Around 1300 people have been resettled to third countries from Indonesia since 2001, with Australia taking about a third of those refugees - more than any other country.
The Government recently increased its core funding to the UNHCR by $4.4 million to $14.3 million and provided another $2 million over two years specifically to support UNHCR's delivery of protection assessments and outreach activities in Indonesia.
The 2009-10 Budget provided the IOM with $5 million over two years to provide additional accommodation, food and medical care for intercepted irregular migrants in Indonesia.
Some of the commentary on Indonesia has been unfair, unbalanced and deeply offensive to the Indonesians. Indonesia is a developing nation - a democracy that is struggling with the challenge if increasing numbers of refugees.
The arrangements with Indonesia are part of Australia's comprehensive protection focused response to the global challenge posed by forced displacement. By way of contrast, the failed Pacific Solution was not protection focused and stood outside the global system of international protection.
Howard's Pacific Solution was underpinned by the message that if you come by boat to Australia you will not received protection here, even if found to be a refugee. People were quite deliberately left on Nauru even after being found to be owed protection, to ensure that this message was understood.
In the assessment of UNHCR the Pacific Solution was not in accordance with the object and purpose of the Refugees Convention, and on that basis it can only be seen to have undermined, rather than contributed to, the system of international protection.
As well as contributing to the international protection system, our arrangements in Indonesia help foster a regional approach to the challenge of irregular movement. The Bali process - or to use its full name the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime - is co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia. It is a collaborative effort participated in by over 50 countries and numerous international agencies, including the UNHCR.
Two of the objectives of the Bali Process are the enactment of national legislation to criminalise people smuggling and trafficking in persons, and assisting countries to adopt best practices in asylum management, in accordance with the principles of the Refugees Convention. This year, the Rudd Government reinvigorated the Bali Process at Ministerial level for the first time since 2003.
There was continued strong recognition at the Bali Ministerial meeting in April that if the issues of people smuggling and irregular movement are to be effectively addressed, countries in the region need to work cooperatively rather than in isolation - indeed going it alone rather than operating under a regional framework was another reason the Pacific Solution failed.
The importance of criminalising people smuggling in the region and enhancing co-operation on extradition were also again recognised by Ministers at Bali.
On the protection side there was also a clear view that origin, transit and destination countries could all play a part in protecting refugees.
An important outcome of the meeting was the convening of a working group to address particular irregular movement challenges in the region. Countries affected by the current surge of irregular movement by Sri Lankans will be meeting next month in Perth to discuss the matter.
As a committed participant in the system of international protection, we share responsibility for protecting refugees worldwide.
As Australians, we should feel proud of our long tradition of supporting those who come to this country, many of whom have suffered persecution, discrimination and human rights abuses, by helping them settle effectively and build their new lives in Australia.
But we have to recognise that it is a global issue - not one that is isolated to Australia.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
We must remember throughout this debate, that Australia is a country of migrants - those who have come as refugees and the many millions who have migrated here to build a new life.
Today, some 45 per cent of all Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas.
Immigration has made a crucial contribution to our success as a nation.
It keeps us open to the world, continues to renew us with new ideas, experiences and wisdom, and harnesses the efforts of people from around the world in building our nation.
One of the great success stories of Australia as a nation is that our culturally diverse society compares well with other countries in terms of our low levels of discrimination, social tension or disharmony.
That being said, there is always more to be done to ensure that no groups are left by the wayside in their journey towards full participation, inclusion and citizenship.
This is critically important - for these Australians, for their families, and for our nation as a whole.
Cultural diversity policies are an important means of supporting everyone to be a full member of our democratic society.
No matter where we are from and no matter what our background, it is important that we all have opportunities to build our capacities, pursue our aspirations and contribute to the nation.
Mutual respect
As we grow as a nation, we need a broader vision of the values of multiculturalism. A vision where all Australians take pride in and embrace our cultural diversity.
We all need respect. We need to give it and receive it from our fellow community members.
This is not conditional on what people look like, where they come from, what their religion is, what they hope for, or how well they speak English.
Belonging together requires us to look positively beyond our similarities to our differences.
In a country like Australia, blessed by the wealth that is our people, we must nurture and value it as a national strength.
This requires fairness and opportunity.
AMAC
The Howard Government abandoned the vision of social inclusion and multiculturalism.
To fill this vacuum, we established the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council last year to bring new cultural diversity perspectives to the Australian Government.
The 16-member council is chaired by AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and includes your very own chair, Voula Messimeri.
I have tasked them with focussing on having a conversation with the Australian community as a whole and not just focus on new migrants.
The Council will play an important role in articulating the benefits of Australia's diversity and shaping this Government's response to religious and cultural intolerance.
It will provide invaluable, independent advice to Government on practical approaches to promoting social cohesion, the engagement of migrants in Australian society, overcoming racism and intolerance and communicating to the public on this complex social policy area.
CITIZENSHIP
Citizenship is an important guiding symbol for everyone living in Australia - whether newly arrived, descendants of immigrants, or part of Australia's Indigenous heritage.
Australian citizenship is the bond that unites us all in one common endeavour across heritage, culture, politics, wealth, religion and colour.
I know many in the audience did not support the introduction of the Citizenship test by the former Government. It was seen as part of the attack on multiculturalism and a means of excluding new migrants rather than welcoming their full participation in Australian society.
The Rudd Government supports the citizenship test but not if it creates a barrier to Citizenship. We believe that anyone who has a will and commitment to learn about Australia and become a Citizen should be given the pathway to do so.
The Citizenship Test is a crucial part of this process and the recent changes that the Government has made to Citizenship Test clearly place the focus on enabling and educating rather than excluding and alienating.
Is it better that a citizen understands what Ludwig Leichhardt or Don Bradman was famous for or the role of the Australian legal system in protecting women from domestic violence?
The centrepiece of the new Citizenship Test is the Pledge of Commitment.
The Pledge joins all Australians together through a statement of unity. It is crucial that prospective citizens fully understand the promise they are making.
Democratic beliefs, responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, and the requirement to uphold and obey the laws of Australia - aspects all linked to the Pledge - should be what people are tested on.
Revised resource book and other changes
On 17 September, Citizenship Day this year, I launched a revised citizenship test resource book, called Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond.
It implements the recommendations of the Citizenship Test review committee.
The revised book will assist people to prepare for their citizenship test and has been written in plain English by educational experts.
Additionally, we are also developing a citizenship course to provide an alternative pathway as a safety net for a small group of people who are significantly disadvantaged and vulnerable.
Lastly, there are some people who want to apply for formal citizenship but it is unreasonable to expect them to sit the citizenship test.
Recent legislative changes will ensure that people who suffer from a permanent or enduring incapacity will not be required to sit the citizenship test.
This is just one way of ensuring that these people are not excluded.
These changes have been made to ensure that anyone who is willing to make a commitment to Australia and contribute to the Australian community is empowered to do so.
Conclusion
At this point in our nation's history, it is important to look to our future.
A future in which will unify the millions of people from diverse backgrounds who live in this country and will continue to be a symbol of hope and aspiration for many more who will look to this country as a place where they too can build a better life.
The government's settlement and cultural diversity programs work to strengthen Australian society, hand-in-hand with the government's human rights and social inclusion agendas.
In a world of challenges and opportunities, I believe we should focus on what it takes for us all to truly belong with our fellow Australians and share in framing our future together.
I look forward to working with you to build on the success that is modern Australia, founded on the legacy of perhaps the world's most successful immigration program.
I seek your support for the government's commitment to pursuing a strong, fair, multicultural future.
