Page 1796 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016

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(i) Minister Peter Dutton’s assertion that refugees “would be taking Australian jobs”;

(ii) Minister Peter Dutton’s assertion that “many of them that would be unemployed ... would languish in unemployment queues and on Medicare and the rest of it”;

(iii) Minister Peter Dutton’s assertion that refugees “won’t be numerate or literate in their own language”; and

(iv) Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s endorsement of these comments; and

(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) condemn the inflammatory, divisive and hurtful comments of Minister Dutton and Prime Minister Turnbull;

(b) continue to celebrate the achievements of our emerging ethnic communities including recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers;

(d) explore initiatives to improve employment pathways for refugees and asylum seekers;

(e) work closely with local service providers to respond to the needs of refugees at a local level;

(f) proactively seek further opportunities where community, business and government can be brought together to provide more opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees in the ACT; and

(g) invest in social inclusion initiatives which value and empower everyone in the Canberra community.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to this motion and to say to all newly arrived Canberrans, but in particular newly arrived refugees in Canberra, that this government has a genuine commitment to standing with you and helping you towards a new life and a place in this accepting and welcoming Canberra community. This is because the government understands the challenges that come with fleeing a difficult or life-threatening situation and because we empathise with people who are suffering hardship and difficulty in their lives.

During the federal election campaign we have seen a string of deeply unfortunate and divisive comments from federal government ministers about refugees that are not reflective of the view of the majority of Australians, who are compassionate and caring towards people in need. My view is that these comments are even less reflective of the opinions of Canberrans, who know that those who are suffering hardship have a right, and indeed a duty, to take action to remove themselves and their families from horrible situations.

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