EMBARGO: 9,30 P,.
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. E. G. WHITLAM, AT
THE OFFICIAL OPENIN4G OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF
THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE TOWN
HALL, SATURDAY, 13 JULY 1974
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO UNDER AN EARLIER LABOR GOVERNMENT
THE GOOD 1NEIGHBOUR MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA WAS INAUGURATED.
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL WAS THE FIRST TO COME INTO FULL
OPERATION AND WAS FOLLOWED IN CLOSE SUCCESSION BY COUNCILS
IN OTHER STATES. THE MOVEMENT'S INAUGURATION CAME AT A TIME
OF PROFOUND IMPORTANCE IN AUSTRALIA' S HISTORY. WE HAD NOT
LONG EMBARKED ON THE GREATEST MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE INTO OUR
COUNTRY THAT WE HAVE EVER SEEN. * AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE JUST
CREATING THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS. FOR IT IS A FACT
OFTEN OVERLOOKED THAT THERE WERE No AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS UINTIL
] 3L~ 9, THE ACT WIHICH ESTABLISHED AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP FOR
THE FIRST TIME WAS INTRODUCED ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1948 INTO THE
HOUSE op REPRESENTATIVES BY THE FIRST MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION,
MIR. ARTHUR CALWELL. IT BECAME OPERATIVE IN 1949 AND THE FIRST
MAN IN HISTORY TO BE AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN BY LAW WAS THE THEN
PRIME MINISTER, MR. BEN CHIFLEY, WHO RECEIVED AUSTRALIAN
CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE No. 1.
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THE COMBINATION OFIHESE TWO DEVELOPMENTS THE CREATION
OF AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP AND THE POST-WAR MIGRATION PROGRAM
MAKE THE LATE 1940s A MAJOR WATERSHED IN OUR HISTORY, THEY EVEN
INVOLVED A CERTAIN IRONY, THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT INVOLVED A FORMAL
RECOGNITION THAT WE HAD ACHIEVED A SENSE OF OUR OWN IDENTITY,
THE SECOND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTED US TO A COURSE THAT WOULD
PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCE AND, IN MANY WAYS, CHANGE THAT IDENTITY, IN
ONE OF HIS RARE PUBLIC APPEARANCES, PATRICK WHITE EARLIER THIS
YEAR PRAISED THE HISTORIAN PROFESSOR MANNING CLARK, FOR SHOWING
AUSTRALIANS THAT " WHAT WE WERE IS WHAT WE ARE", I WOULD SUGGEST
THAT POST-WAR MIGRATION HAS MEANT THAT WHAT WE ARE AS A NATION
IS INCREASINGLY BEING DETERMINED BY lWHERE WE AUSTRALIANS HAVE
COME FROM, IN A QUITE LITERAL SENSE,
SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR MOVEMENT, WE
HAVE INDEED BECOME A DIFFERENT NATION AND A DIFFERENT PEOPLE,
THE INFLUX OF MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD
HAS MEANT THAT 20 PER CENT OF OUR PRESENT POPULATION WAS BORN
OVERSEAS, TWENTY-FIVE PER CENT OF THE 6 MILLION CHILDREN BORN
HERE SINCE WORLD WAR II BELONG TO FAMILIES IN WHICH ONE OR BOTH
PARENTS WERE OVERSEAS-BORN, THE FORMER MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION,
MR, AL GRASSBY, HAS GONE SO FAR AS TO SUGGEST THAT ONE-THIRD
OF AUSTRALIA'S TOTAL POPULATION IS LINKED EITHER DIRECTLY BY
BIRTH OR LESS DIRECTLY BY FAMILY OR MARRIAGE TO THE HISTORY,
LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF AN OVERSEAS COUNTRY,
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THE EFFECT OF MIGRATION ON AUSTRALIA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DRAMATIC, THE 1971 CENSUS FIGURES, THE
LATEST AVAILABLE, SHOW THAT 26 PER CENT OF OUR TOTAL WORK FORCE
WAS BORN OVERSEAS, IN MANY KEY INDUSTRIES AND OCCUPATIONS THE
MIGRANT ROLE HAS BEEN CRUCIAL, THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIES WHERE MIGRANTS HAVE PROVIDED ONE-THIRD OF THE WORK
FORCE AND THE BUILDING MATERIALS INDUSTRIES FOR SOME OF
WHICH THEY HAVE PROVIDED UP TO HALF THE WORK FORCE ARE GOOD
EXAMPLES, THEIR IMPORTANCE HAS EXTENDED INTO THE MOST SKILLED
AND PROFESSIONAL AREAS, THE 1971 CENSUS SHOWED, FOR EXAMPLE,
THAT 30,5 PER CENT OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND DENTISTS IN
AUSTRALIA AND 36,1 PER CENT OF CHEMISTS, PHYSICISTS, GEOLOGISTS
AND OTHER PHYSICAL SCIENTISTS WERE OVERSEAS BORN,
NOT THAT THE CONTRIBUTION OF NEWCOMERS HAS BEEN LIMITED
TO THEIR LABOUR, ONE HAS ONLY TO LOOK AROUND AT THE CHANGING
FACE OF AUSTRALIA TO SEE THE IMMENSE DIFFERENCE THEY HAVE MADE
CULTURALLY, SOCIALLY AND POLITICALLY,
IT IS, HOWEVER, AN UNPLEASANT TRUTH THAT MANY " OLD" AUSTRALIANS,
WHILE REAPING THE BENEFITS OF THE NEW DIVERSITY OF OUR SOCIETY,
HAVE TENDED TO LOOK ON MIGRANTS PRIMARILY AS A SOURCE OF LABOUR,
AS A MEANS OF ECONOMIC EXPANSION, THE USE OF THE TERM " CANNON
FODDER FOR OUR FACTORIES" HAS TOO OFTEN BEEN APPROPRIATE. IT IS
NOT TRUE OF COURSE TO SUGGEST THAT AUSTRALIAN ATTITUDES HAVE BEEN
DOMINATED BY UNRELIEVED RAPACITY, THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR MOVEMENT
ALONE HAS SYMBOLISED A DIFFERENT, HEALTHIER ATTITUDE,
YOUR OWN COUNCIL IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA HAS, I AM TOLD, THROUGH
ITS 2,000 OR MORE VOLUNTARY CONTACT WORKERS REACHED WITH A
PERSONAL WELCOME 90 PER CENT OF ALL MIGRANTS TAKING UP
INITIAL RESIDENCE IN THIS STATE, WITH THE ACTIVE AFFILIATION
OF SOME 130 COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS IT HAS HELPED MANY PEOPLE
TO SETTLE IN THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT,
NEVERTHELESS, IT REMAINS TRUE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN
SIGNIFICANT FAILURES IN OUR HANDLING OF THE PROBLEMS AND
NEEDS OF OUR NEW SETTLERS, TAKE TIEIR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS,
FOR EXAMPLE, A SURVEY OF SIXTY-THREE SCHOOLS OF HIGH MIGRANT
DENSITY IN MELBOURNE LATE IN 1972 REVEALED SERIOUS INADEQUACIES
IN BOTH ACCOMMODATION AND SUPPLY OF TEACHERS, THE REPORT SHOWED
THAT ONLY ONE-THIRD OF MIGRANT CIHILDREN IN THE SIXTY-THREE
SCHOOLS SURVEYED WHO WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH ENGLISH WERE
ACTUALL RECEIVING ASSISTANCE AND, OF THIS ONE-THIRD, 40 PER
CENT WERE NOT RECEIVING SUFFICIENT SPECIALISED TUITION, THE
EFFECT OF THESE SHORTCOMINGS WILL BE TO SEVERELY LIMIT THE
EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THESE CHILDREN,
A SIMILAR PATTERN OF DISADVANTAGE EMERGESIF WE LOOK AT ANOTHER
AREA, HEALTH INSURANCE, A SURVEY RELEASED IN JANUARY BY THE
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS SHO.! ED THAT ONLY 83., 3 PER CENT
OF PEOPLE BORN OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA WERE COVERED BY HOSPITAL AND
MEDICAL EXPENDITURE ASSISTANCE SCHEMES, COMPARED WITH 87,6 PER CENT
OF THOSE BORN IN AUSTRALIA, OF PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA
BETWEEN JANUARY 1971 AND AUGUST 1972, WHEN THE'SURVEY WAS
CONDUCTED, ONLY 68 PER CENT WERE COVERED, MORE THAN 53,000
GREEK MIGRANTS OR 37,5 PER CENT WERE UNPROTECTED; ABOUT
52,000 ITALIAN MIGRANTS-OR 19,1 PER CENT WERE WITHOUT COVERAGE,
THIS KIND OF UNDERPRIVILEGE CAN BE FOUND IN MANY OTHER AREAS
OF AUSTRALIAN LIFE,
IT IS NO WONDER THEN THAT SO MANY MIGRANTS HAVE LEFT
AUSTRALIA, IN 1972, FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTRALIA RECEIVED 112,468
SETTLERS BUT IN THE SAME YEAR 33,172 FORMER SETTLERS LEFT
THE COUNTRY, THIS SORT OF WASTAGE CLEARLY INDICATES THAT SOMETHING
HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY WRONG WITH BOTH OUR RECRUITMENT OF MIGRANTS
AND OUR TREATMENT OF THEM ONCE THEY ARE HERE,
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR INTRODUCED A NEW
SYSTEM OF OVERCOMING THE RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS, WE HAVE
ASSUMED THAT THE PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO SETTLE HAPPILY AND
PERMANENTLY IN AUSTRALIA ARE THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE FRIENDS
OR RELATIVES HERE OR WHO HAVE JOBS AWAITING THEM, FOR THIS
REASON WE NOW GIVE OUR FIRST PRIORITY TO THE REUNITING OF FAMILIES -TO
SPOUSES, DEPENDENT CHILDREN, AGED OR OTHERWISE DEPENDENT PARENTS
AND FIANCEES, SPONSORED BY AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS, OUR OTHER
PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN FOR THE ADMISSION OF CLOSE NON-DEPENDENT
BLOOD RELATIVES; MORE DISTANT RELATIVES AND FRIENDS; AND
PEOPLE WITH OCCUPATIONS REQUIRED TO MEET SPECIFIC NATIONAL
NEEDS,
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AT THE SAME TIME IN THE LAST 19, MONTHS WE HAVE INTRODUCED
A NUMBER OF MEASURES TO MEET THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE ALREADY SETTLED IN AUSTRALIA, WE HAVE INTRODUCED
PORTABILITY OF PENSION RIGHTS TO ENABLE ANY1ONE TO RECEIVE AGED,
INVALID, WIDOWS'I OR WIVES PENSIONS IN ANY COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY
CHOOSE TO LIVE. WE ARE ESTABLISHING A TELEPHONE INTERPRETER
SERVICE IN OUR CAPITAL CITIES TO DEAL WITH REQUESTS FOR HELP
AND GUIDANCE FROM MIGRANTS. WE ARE OPENING MIGRANT EDUCATION
CENTRES IN OUR CAPITAL CITIES. WE HAVE APPOINTED 48 MIGRANT
WELFARE OFFICERS TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE INTRODUCED THE HOME TUTOR SCHEME WHICH IS AIMED AT
REACHING MIGRANT WOMEN AT HOME, USING VOLUNTARY LANGUAGE TUTORS.
IN 1973/ 74 WE ALLOCATED $ 8.2 MILLION FOR SPECIAL INSTRUCTION
FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN IN STATE AND INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, COMPARED
WITH $ 5 MILLION IN THE PREVIOUS FINANCIAL YEAR. IAE HAVE
INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO ENABLE ANYONE TO GAIN AUSTRALIAN
CITIZENSHIP AFTER THREE YEARS RESIDENCE, IRRESPECTIVE OF
NATIONAL ORIGINS. WE HAVE BANNED THE DEPORTATION OR THE
CANCELLATION OF CITIZENSHIP OF ANY AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN. VIE
HAVE ESTABLISHED TASK FORCES IN ALL-STATE CAPITALS TO IDENTIFY
THE MOST URGENT SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS CONFRONTING MIGRANTS,
WE HAVE RECEIVED A REPORT FROM A COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE MIGRATION ADVISORY COUNCIL WHICH WE SET UP TO INQUIRE
INTO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MIGRANTS, EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANTS AND
THEIR USE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. THESE AND OTHER MEASURES HAVE
BEEN PART OF THE PATTERN OF SEEKING TO ENSURE THAT MIGRANTS ENJOY
FULL AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES.
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MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE IF WE ARE TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVES.
WE ALSO NEED TO ENSURE THAT AS A GOVERNMENT OUR ORGANISATIONAL
STRUCTURE IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE ONE. TO ENSURE JUST THAT
WE HAVE IN FACT MOVED IN THE LAST MONTH TO MAKE SOME IMPORTANT
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES IN RELATION TO MIGRANTS AND MIGRATION,
ON 11 JUNE I ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR
AND IMMIGRATION. I ANNOUNCED THAT CERTAIN FUNCTIONS W1OULD BE
TRANSFERRED FROM THE FORMER DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION TO OTHER
DEPARTMENTS, SUCH As EDUCATION, SOCIAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN
AFFAIRS. I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CRITICISMS OF THIS
DECISION. MY GOOD FRIEND, MR. EVASIO COSTANZO, WROTE IN LA FIAMMA
THAT LABOR HAD " KILLED IMMIGRATION" WITH THIS ACTION. THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR COU'NCIL OF SOUTH
AUSTRALIA HAS ALSO WRITTEN TO ME TO OPPOSE THE MOVE, SO I WOULD
LIKE TO EXPLAIN OUR REASONS FOR MAKING THE CHANGE AND TO TELL
YOU WHY I BELIEVE IT WILL HELP MIGRANTS.
THE CRITICISMS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE INVOLVE A NUMBER OF
POINTS. ONE IS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A CENTRAL DEPARTMENT
TO MEET THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF MIGRANTS. IT IS ARGUED THAT ANY
FRAGMENTATION OF FUNCTIONS WILL LEAD TO INEFFICIENCY AND
DE-HUMANISATION1 THE NEED FOR MIGRANTS TO HAVE A SINIGLE POINT
OF CONTACT HAS BEEN STRESSED. FEARS HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED ABOUT
THE LOSS OF EXPERTISE AND MORALE AMONG MIGRATION OFFICERS THAT
MIGHT FLOW FROM THE DECISION. THERE HAVE BEEN STATEMENTS OF
CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES
RELATED TO MIGRANTS,
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SOME OF THE 48 MIGRANT WELFARE OFFICERS APPOINTED LAST YEAR
HAVE WRITTEN TO ME TO SAY THAT THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THEIR FUNCTIONS ADEQUATELY
AS A RESULT OF THE REORGANISATION, AN ARGUMENT HAS BEEN
ADVANCED THAT, BY MERGING A LARGE PART OF THE OLD DEPARTMENT
OF IMMIGRATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR, WE HAVE
INDICATED THAT WE SEE MIGRATION MERELY AS A MATTER OF MANPOWER,
THAT WE ARE GUILTY OF A KIND OF UP-DATED VERSION OF THE OLD
" INDUSTRIAL CANNON FODDER" ATTITUDE, FINALLY, RUNNING THROUGH
ALL OF THESE CRITICISMS IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE HAVE CEASED
TO RECOGNISE THE SPECIAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF OUR MIGRANT
COMMUNITY, I CAN ASSERT THAT ALL OF THESE FEARS ARE UNFOUNDED,
MORE THAN THAT, I ASSERT THAT MIGRANTS NILL BENEFIT FROM THE
CHANGES AND THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL BE BETTER
EQUIPPED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS,
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LET ME DEAL WITH THE FIRST GROUP OF CRITICISMS THAT HAVE
BEEN LEVELLED AGAINST THE REORGANISATION, CONTRARY TO THE
ARGUMENT THAT WE NEEDED TO RETAIN THE OLD DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION
AS A CENTRALISED BODY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ITS CONTINUED
EXISTENCE IN ITS PREVIOUS FORM WAS RESULTING IN OVER-CENTRALISATION,
MR, GRASSBY POINTED OUT IN A REPORT TABLED IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES ON 11 OCTOBER LAST YEAR THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
IMMIGRATION HAD A TOTAL STAFF OF JUST OVER TWO THOUSAND TO DEAL
WITH THE PROBLEMS OF MIGRANTS AS WELL AS HAVING THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTROL OF SOME 2,2 MILLION ARRIVALS
IN AND DEPARTURES FROM AUSTRALIA ANNUALLY, THAT IS TWO
THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT OF A TOTAL OF 257,00 COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC
SERVANTS, IT WAS BECOMING IMPOSSIBLE FOR SUCH A RELATIVELY
SMALL NUMBER OF MEN AND WOMEN TO DEAL WITH SUCH DIVERSE'MATTERS
AS IMMIGRATION, EMIGRATION, SETTLEMENT, WELFARE, EDUCATION,
CITIZENSHIP AND POPULATION, IN SAYING THIS I DO NOT MEAN
TO CRITICISE THE OFFICIALS OF THE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT
SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL OR FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO DEAL
WITH ALL THESE MATTERS, IT ALSO NECESSARILY LACKED THE POWER
TO PERFORM MANY OF THESE FUNCTIONS ADEQUATELY; SOCIAL SECURITY
BENEFITS FOR MIGRANTS OR THE IN-SCHOOL EDUCATION OF MIGRANT
CHILDREN WERE ESSENTIALLY FUNCTIONS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS,
YET MIGRANTS WERE ENCOURAGED-TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT AS THE
DISPENSER OF GOVERNMENT BENEFITS,
L
-gAAT
THE SAME TIME, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AT LEAST SOME
OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, OTHER DEPARTMENTS DID NOT PAY SUFFICIENT
ATTENTION TO DEVELOPING PROGRAMS FOR MIGRANTS, IT WAS
TOO EASY TO FOB OFF MIGRANT QUESTIONS AS MATTERS FOR THE
IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, THIS APPLIED TO BOTH STATE AND
FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS,
THIS CONFUSION OF ROLES BECAME EVEN MORE INAPPROPRIATE
WITH THE ADVENT OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT, ONE OF THE GREAT
CHANGES TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED SINCE COMING TO
OFFICE 19 MONTHS AGO HAS BEEN TO INVOLVE THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT IN NEWl AREAS OF GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITY IN AUSTRALIA,
PREVIOUSLY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ADOPTED A VERY LIMITED
ROLE IN SUCH AREAS AS EDUCATION AND URBAN AFFAIRS, IN THE FIELD
OF SOCIAL SECURITY, IT ACTED LARGELY AS A MEANS OF GIVING
PENSIONS AND OTHER WELFARE BENEFITS, IN ALL OF THESE AREAS
ITS ROLE HAS NOW CHANGED RADICALLY, IN EDUCATION WE ARE
SEEKING TO ELIMINATE AREAS OF DISADVANTAGE TO PROVIDE EQUAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN, NOT JUST TO HAND OUT
ARBITRARY PER CAPITA PAYMENTS, IN SOCIAL SECURITY, THROUGH THE
SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION AND THE AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLAN, WE
ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY WELFARE FACILITIES FOR ALL
AUSTRALIANS, IN SHORT WE HAVE MOVED INTO THE ROLE OF AN
I U
INITIATOR, AN ACTIVIST IN THESE FIELDS IN A WAY \ WHICH NO PREVIOUS
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD DONE,
IT IS ONLY LOGICAL THAT, IN LINE WITH THIS EXPANDED
ROLE, THAT MIGRANT AFFAIRS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS COMING WITHIN
THE PURVIEW OF THE RELEVANT AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS,
IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS TO TACKLE GENUINELY THE PROBLEMS OF
THE DISADVANTAGED IN OUR SCHOOLS IT CANNOT IGNORE MIGRANT EDUCATION,
IF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE
COMMISSION ARE TO RESTRUCTURE OUR WELFARE SYSTEM EFFECTIVELY
THEY CANNOT IGNORE THE WELFARE NEEDS OF MIGRANTS, THE SOONER
WE SEE MIGRANT NEEDS AS PART OF THE OVERALL NEEDS OF THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY, THE SOONER THOSE NEEDS WILL BE MET BY THE BODIES WITHi
THE APPROPRIATE STAFF, FACILITIES, FINANCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES,
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THIS IS NOT FRAGMENTATION, IT IS SPECIALISATION,
THIS IS NOT INEFFICIENCY, THIS IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY
IN WHICH TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS,
THE EXPERTISE OF IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS WILL NOT BE LOST
TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE OR, FOR THAT MATTER, TO MIGRANTS, THERE
WILL REMAIN A SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRATION UNIT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
OF LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION, THIS WILL STILL SERVE AS AN ESTABLISHED
CENTREOF CONTACT FOR MIGRANTS, THUS IF A MIGRANT IS UNSURE OF
WHICH DEPARTMENT TO APPROACH WITH A PROBLEM HE WILL STILL BE ABLE
TO USE THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION AS A FIRST POINT
OF CONTACT, IF HIS PROBLEM IS A SPECIALISED ONE, THE OFFICERS
OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT HE IS REFERRED TO
THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT SPECIALIST DEPARTMENT,
A NUMBER OF OFFICERS OF THE OLD DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION
WILL OF COURSE BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE MIGRANT
WELFARE OFFICERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SECURITY, THIS CERTAINLY DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY WILL BE
SUBMERGED AND LOST WITHIN A BUREAUCRATIC MONOLITH, RATHER THEY
WILL BE ABLE TO DRAW ON THE EXPERTISE AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE
RESOURCES OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT INDEED THE MINISTER
FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, MR, BILL HAYDEN, HAS ALREADY SAID THAT
MIGRANT WELFARE SERVICES WILL BE GREATLY ENLARGED AND IMPROVED
AS A RESULT OF THE REORGANISATION.
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WE WILL ENSURE THAT THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF MIGRANTS WILL
NOT BE LOST SIGHT OF IN THE SPECIALIST DEPARTMENTS, AS AN
EARNEST OF OUR INTENTIONS, I CAN ANNOUNCE TONIGHT ONE RESULT
OF DISCUSSIONS I HAVE HELD WITH THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY,
HE HAS AGREED THAT A PERSON INVOLVED IN MIGRANT WELFARE WILL BE
APPOINTED TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE COMMISSION, THE APPOINTEE WILL
PROVIDE A VITAL INFLUENCE ON POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE
COMMISSION, IN KEEPING WITH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT
THERE WILL BE NO LESSENING OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE GOVERNMENT'S
ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF MIGRATION, IF WE ARE TO SUCCEED
IN OUR OBJECTIVE OF ENABLING PEOPLE TO SETTLE HAPPILY AND
PERMANENTLY IN AUSTRALIA WE MUST HAVE THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY
ORGANISATIONS, WE COULD NOT CONTINUE SUCH ENTERPRISES AS THE
HOME TUTOR SCHEME WITHOUT THE AID OF VOLUNTEER WORKERS DRAWN
FROM THE COMMUNITY,
I TURN NOW TO THE CRITICISM THAT WE HAVE " KILLED IMMIGRATION"
OR THAT WE NOW SEE IT MERELY AS A MATTER OF MANPOWER, OUR CRITICS
ARE WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS, IF THIS WERE NOT SO WE WOULD HAVE
ABANDONED OUR NEW SYSTEM OF FAMILY REUNION AT THE TIME OF
REORGANISATION, WE HAVE NOT ABANDONED IT, AUSTRALIA WILL
CONTINUE TO WELCOME MIGRANTS WHO -SATISFY THE HUMANE CRITERIA
WHICH WE LAID DOWN LAST YEAR, WE BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THAT IT
IS POINTLESS, INDEED DAMAGING, TO BRING LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
TO AUSTRALIA UNLESS THERE ARE JOBS FOR THEM,
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THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION WILL HAVE THE
EXPERTISE TO ENSURE THAT MIGRANTS CAN GAIN EMPLOYMENT,
THE DAYS OF " CANNON FODDER" ARE PAST,
MIGRANTS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR
AND IMMIGRATION'S NEW NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SYSTEM,
NEA, T, AS MR, CAMERON HAS CALLED IT WILL ENSURE THAT
MIGRANTS, ALONG WITH OTHER AUSTRALIANS, WHO LOSE THEIR JOBS
THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OR OTHER
FACTORS CAN BE RETRAINED FOR OTHER SATISFYING JOBS,
FINALLY I WANT TO ASSURE YOU OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING
COMMITMENT TO TWO VITAL GOALS: THE ABOLITION OF ALL FORMS OF
DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOUR OR CREED IN
AUSTRALIA AND THE PROGRAM TO ENABLE THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
TO BENEFIT FROM THE RICH CULTURAL ANT) LINGUISTIC HERITAGE WE
HAVE, THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THOSE COMMITMENTS TO LIFE WAS MR,
AL GRASSBY, LAST SUNDAY I ANNOUNCED A NEW APPOINTMENT FOR
HIM SO THAT HE COULD CONTINUE TO PURSUE THOSE GOALS,
AS A SPECIAL CONSULTANT TO THE GOVERNMENT ON COMMUNITY RELATIONS
MR, GRASSBY WILL CONTINUE TO BE KEENLY INVOLVED IN THE NEEDS
AND ASPIRATIONS OF MIGRANTS, HIS INVOLVEMENT WILL BE FURTHER
ENHANCED IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN SUCCEED WITH LEGISLATION TO
ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION, HE WOULD BE APPOINTED AS COMMISSIONER
FOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS UNDER THAT LEGISLATION,
4 -14-
HIS ROLE IN HELPING TO PRESERVE THE CULTURAL AND
LINGUISTIC HERITAGE OF ALL AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS WILL BE
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. WE DO NIOT WANT MIGRANTS TO FEEL
THAT THEY HAVE TO ERASE THEIR OWN CHARACTERISTICS AND IMITATE
AND ADOPT COMPLETELY T14E BEHAVIOUR OF EXISTING AUSTRALIAN
SOCIETY. WE WANT TO SEE THAT SOCIETY ENRICHED BY THE CROSS
FERTILISATION THAT WILL RESULT FROM MIGRANTS RETAINING THEIR
OWN HERITAGE. THE OLD APPROACH OF INDIVIDUAL ASSIMILATION
IS NO LONGER GOVERNMENT POLICY. WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE
INTEGRATION OF ETHNIC COMMUNITIES INTO THE BROADER
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. By STRENGTHENING THOSE COMMUNITIES WE
STRENGTHEN THE WHOLE SOCIETY.
IHOPE THAT MY REMARKS TONIGHT WILL LAY TO REST FEARS
WHICH HAVE BEEN AROUSED BY OUR RECENT ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES.
INDEED I HOPE THAT MIGRANTS AND OTHER AUSTRALIANS WILL SEE
THE ADVANTAGES THAT WILL FLOW FRGM THE REORGANISATION.
IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE, H EALTH SERVICES,
HOUSING AND ALL OTHER AREAS OF AUSTRALIAN LIFE WE ARE FIRMLY
COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY FOR
MIGRANTS, WE SEE THIS AS A JOB NOT JUST FOR ONE DEPARTMENT
BUT FOR THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT AND, IN FACT, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.