Page 1798 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2016
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Thirdly, Minister Dutton has made the assertion that refugees “will not be literate or numerate in their own language.” Here we have the mythical Schrodinger’s refugee who is, according to Mr Dutton, simultaneously illiterate, innumerate and unemployable, yet somehow taking Australian jobs. How can someone “languish in unemployment queues” and “take Australian jobs” at the same time? If you are unemployed, you have not taken an Australian job. If you are employed, you cannot languish in unemployment queues. And if you are illiterate and innumerate, your chances of getting a job over someone who is educated are slim.
The truth is that Mr Dutton is perpetuating an ugly racial wedge in a cynical vote grab at the expense of some of the most vulnerable people in Australian society. We on this side of the Assembly would never consider such racist and divisive comments to be acceptable, let alone describe the person who made them as “outstanding”. Nor would the majority of Canberrans expect us to.
What shocks me about it is that it speaks volumes about what Mr Dutton thinks motivates other people. Either he thinks that desperate people come to this country to rort the Australian taxpayer and steal Australian jobs or he thinks that Australians are selfish racists who will vote for him if he makes these remarks. It shows his combative “us versus them” attitude.
It is also a sad reflection of Mr Dutton’s opinion of Australian workers that he believes that people he describes as illiterate and innumerate are a threat to Aussie workers who are trained well and work hard. What a load of rubbish considering that the vast majority of Australians work in service-based industries that require skills and training, and the threat to them by unskilled or illiterate people of any origin is, I would suggest, non-existent. Mr Dutton’s comments are a reflection on himself, not a reflection on anyone else. They are not an accurate reflection of refugees who have come to this country and they do not accurately reflect the opinions of Canberrans.
What does the research tell us? Research undertaken by Mr Dutton’s own department shows that refugees, once they have the opportunity to establish themselves, make important economic, civil and social contributions to Australian society. That research tells us that many refugees settle in non-metropolitan areas, which creates social and economic benefits for regional communities. It also tells us that refugees help meet labour shortages, including in low-skill and low-paid occupations—jobs that are hard to fill. They display strong entrepreneurial qualities, with many ultimately running small and medium-sized businesses themselves. Most refugees and their children show considerable achievement and make a considerable contribution during their working lifetimes. Refugees make significant contributions through volunteering in both the wider community and in their own community groups. Refugees also benefit the wider global community through developing and maintaining economic links with their countries of origin.
None of this is to say that refugee resettlement does not have its challenges, but we in this country, and this city in particular, know the benefits that flow from embracing these challenges. This approach includes sufficient planning to encourage workforce participation, an eventual path towards citizenship, and accepting people in reasonable
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