Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this discussion.

First of all I would like to state that while immigration has been historically beneficial for Australia, the benefits have not stopped. Australia continues to benefit from immigration. The advantages of immigration include, but are not limited to – broadening and extending relationships with the rest of the world, promoting cultural harmony and strengthening the economy by increasing the population base.

I am concerned about current attitudes to immigration, as they seem concentrated on xenophobia, fear and inaccuracy through both media representations and also the Government.

To look at population growth we need to look at Australian society as a whole, and the problems inherent in Australian society. I will concentrate on four main areas. We need to –

• Maintain and improve social conditions
• Maintain and develop a dynamic economy
• Diminish the negative impact we currently have on the environment, and
• Satisfy our humanitarian responsibilities as a developed country.

Of course none of these problems exist in isolation and as such I would call on the Government to initiate policies and programs to work in tandem to address the many and varied issues that today’s summit has brought to our attention.

I believe that we do not need to fear the effect of an increased migrant population on our present social conditions if –

• We address the domestic problems of homelessness and poverty,
• If we have an instituted minimum living wage which is above the poverty line,
• If we legislate pro-family policies which provide maternity leave, affordable and accessible child care and flexible working conditions for mothers and fathers,
• Have free and accessible education for all young Australians,
• And institute real programs to address rising youth unemployment rates.

There is no need to fear the impact of increased immigration on our already fragile eco systems if –

• The Government reviews current business practices that are harming the environment,
• The Government signs the Kyoto Agreement and
• If we utilize current technology to preserve our water resources.

As I said previously increased migration can benefit the economy. The current Federal Government policy of detention centres is not cost effective and should be abandoned, instead refugees and asylum seekers should be allowed to contribute to the economy by actively participating in society. And we must not forget that an increased population will lead to increased competitiveness that will benefit us all, as it will make Australia more attractive to foreign investment.

The last issue I would like to address it the one closest to my heart – that of Humanitarianism. I believe that we have a responsibility as a developed nation to aid developing countries to United Nations standards. I personally find our Governments policies in regard to refugees embarrassing. We currently take a lot less refugees that other developed countries, and those we do take we treat as criminals. Refugees make up only a small percentage of Australia’s annual immigration rate however debate about refugees dominates the entire immigration discussion.

If we stop looking at immigration from a position of fear and xenophobia we will see that there are many issues and that if we tackle them concurrently we will be building not only a larger Australia, based on population, but also a stronger and more attractive Australia that can take its place as a world leader.

I would like to leave you with a quote from the famous Aboriginal boxer Lionel Rose – ‘There are good and bad in every race.’