Interview with Jim Middleton, Newshour
Subjects: Immigration to Australia, Indian immigration to Australia, Pacific island affairs, Burma
E&OE transcript
8 February 2010
JIM MIDDLETON: Foreign Minister, welcome to the program.
STEPHEN SMITH: Pleasure, Jim.
JIM MIDDLETON: These immigration changes, did you get a chance to telegraph the decisions to your Indian counterpart, SM Krishna, and how worried are you that New Delhi might think Indian citizens are the real target of these new arrangements?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the new changes announced by my colleague, the Immigration Minister, Senator Evans today aren't directed at India or indeed, any one country. They apply generally and broadly. And consultations occurred through the Minister and his Department. I didn't speak directly about the changes with my counterpart, External Affairs Minister Krishna, but India knew the changes were coming, as indeed did any number of other interested and relevant countries. The policy objective of the changes is to modernise our skills migration program to give it greater integrity, and also to make sure that we are looking at the skills needs of Australia in a demand sense. Quite clearly the case on our analysis over the last couple of years is that the previous arrangements were outmoded and weren't providing Australia with the skills that we need for the future, whether that's healthcare or engineering or, for example, the minerals resources industry.
JIM MIDDLETON: But Minister, it is fair to say that Indian students accounted for a disproportionately high number of the unsponsored positions, and therefore that Indians will be more affected than many other countries and this could cause a backlash?
STEPHEN SMITH: I don't think that's right. I have had discussions on more than one occasion with External Affairs Minister Krishna about what we are both seeing, both the Australian Government and the Indian Government, as the need to enhance the integrity of the educational arrangements so far as Indian students are concerned. We've previously had the conversation, whether it was in Cairns when we first met, or when I was in India last year, that we did worry that the arrangements for Indian students had effectively been rorted by either migration agents or educational agents, that some people were using it and presenting the educational experience for Indian students as a defacto or a back door employment or permanent residency experience. It's come as no surprise to India that we've gone down this road. Indeed, India was very concerned to make sure that the integrity of the system was effectively restored. So, we've been in discussions with India about these particular changes, but also the need to ensure that there is greater integrity in our educational arrangements. That's been the case for some time because when the student safety issue emerged last year, this was one of the analysis that was thrown up and which both Australia and India have been working to address.
JIM MIDDLETON: To another subject in the news today, will Australia have a new Pacific Island Parliamentary Secretary, following Duncan Kerr's retirement. Papua New Guinea and Samoa are very concerned about this and complained to the Australian Government. And I believe also your high commissioners in Papua Guinea and in Samoa, have expressed concern about the delay in any new appointment. Will Australia make another appointment?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well that's a matter entirely for the Prime Minister. I can understand that some of our Pacific friends and neighbours will be disappointed that Duncan has decided to retire. He did a very good job as Bob McMullan is doing a very good job, but our…
JIM MIDDLETON: But doesn't the delay alone suggest a downgrading of Australian concern for the Pacific?
STEPHEN SMITH: No, absolutely not. In the portfolio we have two Parliamentary Secretaries, Bob McMullan and Anthony Byrne. But let me make this general point. Our enduring commitment to firstly repair, and secondly enhance our engagement with the Pacific is not dependent on any one particular individual, whether that's Duncan Kerr, Bob McMullan or indeed, even me. It's an enduring long-term public policy commitment. It's reflected in very many respects by our Pacific Partnerships for Development, which Duncan Kerr, Bob McMullan…
JIM MIDDLETON: It does sound Minister, like Duncan Kerr will not be replaced though, specifically?
STEPHEN SMITH: As I say, that's entirely a matter for the Prime Minister. He appoints Parliamentary Secretaries, not me. But Duncan Kerr, Bob McMullan and I worked very hard, together with the Prime Minister, on our Pacific Partnerships for Development. We're now taking that one step forward to look at the possibility for Pacific partnerships in the security sense as well. But it doesn't depend on one individual, and if at any point in time, I become concerned that we don't have the human resources or the manpower to deal appropriately and effectively with our Pacific friends and neighbours, then I'll make that point. We of course had the additional responsibility in the course of this year as chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, so whilst we lament Duncan's departure, because he did a very good job, at this stage we're not concerned that there's any lack of commitment or lack of resources so far as the Pacific islands is concerned. But it is a matter entirely for the Prime Minister to contemplate.
JIM MIDDLETON: Finally, and briefly I'm afraid Minister, because we are short of time, you announced today that Australia would boost aid to Burma by 40 per cent over the next three years? Is this part of the growing international acknowledgement that isolating the Burmese military regime simply hasn't worked?
STEPHEN SMITH: I think it's part of the growing consensus which we first shared, if you like, at the Friends of Burma Ministerial level meeting at the General Assembly last year with the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, that, you know, whilst on the one hand we have to be firm on sanctions, on the other hand we do need to engage. And so it's, if you like, a parallel track strategy. We won't relent on sanctions until we see some substantial progress towards democracy.
But at some point in the cycle, the international community will be called upon when Burma is restored to democracy, to rebuild Burma's economic and social infrastructure. And that's why I've announced today that we will be applying many more resources to capacity building and development assistance, particularly in those areas, where we minimise the risk in health, in education, in agriculture, where we minimise the risk of any untoward activity or behaviour on the part of the military authorities. But we are very conscious of, very keen, to do everything we can to have an open, fully participating election in Burma, because we want very much to see Burma returned to democracy. And the approach I've outlined today, I think is very much shared by our friends and partners in the international community.
JIM MIDDLETON: Minister, we're out of time, but thank you very much.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks Jim, thanks very much.
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