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Immigration Daily News Its not just post-war migrants from Europe who have made huge contributions to Australian lifeAustralian Immigration Daily News
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Its not just post-war migrants from Europe who have made huge contributions to Australian life
In an interview yesterday, The Hon Tanya Plibersek, Deputy Leader of the Opposition makes, in my view, slightly myopic remarks about the English language testing of migrants, when pointing out that 'post-war migrants from Europe have made huge contributions to Australian Life'.
Stop. Wait a second. Is the Hon Minister not indirectly referring to her own family, and only their ethnic extraction in these comments?
In my view, yes.
The comments made during the interview seem narrow in perspective to me. A far greater percentage of migrants from other areas of the globe have contributed to Australian life than just 'post-war migrants from Europe'?
One of Australia's greatest economic assets is our diverse range of young, hard-working migrants from a range of cultural backgrounds that economically, socially and politically contribute to Australia's strength and affluence. For a Minister to limit her comments to 'post war migrants from Europe' having made 'huge contributions to Australian life', in my personal opinion, subtly undermines the other cultures and backgrounds who have made significant contributions such as the Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese, Canadians, the Great Britain, Ireland and Wales, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa to name but a few cultures and source-nations.
The focal point of Australia's migration history 'lens' is not post-war Europe and I do not think it is appropriate for any politician to be circumscribed and Eurocentric in their comments. It is in my view, important to separate self from country so as not to alienate those who have alternative experiences and views and who made other significant contributions to this fine country.
Ironically though, we have the Deputy Leader of the opposition declaring that her own parents had non-existent English when they arrived to Australia from Slovenia after the Second World War.
We should not underestimate Australia's new migrant population, or their ability to integrate into our culture. The Hon Tanya Plibersek is a 'migrant success story' case-in-point and is evidence that migrants add to Australia's 'common wealth'.
One Federal Minister who is living and breathing the impact of diverse migration in his local area is the the Hon Craig Laundy MP, from the Federal seat of Reid, which is located in the inner-west of Sydney. Reid has, to the best of my knowledge, one of the highest concentrations of new migrants per capita in the country. Many of these are from the Middle East, Sudan, Korea and China. Not Europe.
On his website, Minister Laundy says:
“Australia has and always will be a country built on the back of migration. I am determined to provide equal opportunities to our newest members of our community and connect people with people to build a commitment to social justice across our electorate of Reid.”
- Craig Laundy MP
Here is a recent story from April 2018 by Gareth Hutchens and Australian Associated Press. It looks into government reports showing that migrants add to Australia's wealth. The story and the report aren't Eurocentric.
Below is the relevant extract from the interview between The Hon Tanya Plibersek and Jonathan Green, yesterday, which I refer to. I have highlighted the, in my view, 'imposing' comments made by Minister Plibersek in red.
GREEN: Do we need a new English test for migrants?
PLIBERSEK: This one, I mean honestly, we need to support people to learn English if they move permanently to Australia, and I think it's a great thing if we are more generous in our settlement services to make sure people have the opportunity of getting really good conversational English so that they're not socially isolated and English that can take them into the workforce, but if you had applied a university level English language test like this Government had previously proposed, if you apply some of the tests that have been talked about you would have wiped out a generation of post-war migrants from Europe who have made huge contributions to Australian life. You would have probably not have taken the subsequent waves of migrants who have come here and made huge contributions as well. I just think we need a common sense approach that recognises it's important to learn English so that you're not isolated but let's stop demonising people in the way that's implied with some of these tests.
GREEN: Is this race based?
PLIBERSEK: I'm not going to speculate. I 'd like to see the evidence that the Government has that what they're proposing will make a difference.
GREEN: When did the Plibersek family arrive?
PLIBERSEK: Early 1950s, my mum and dad actually both came from Slovenia after the Second World War but they met in Australia, they met at the dance at the Paddington Town Hall.
GREEN: How was their English?
PLIBERSEK: Non-existent when they arrived.
GREEN: Tanya Plibersek, thanks for your time.
PLIBERSEK: Thank you.
Comments
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Saturday, 16 June 2018Give me a break Liana. Plibersek made a comment about postwar migrants having made a contribution, and she is right, e.g. Snowy Mountains Scheme. She could have gone on about subsequent migrants but probably wasn't given the chance. A bit of nit picking here I reckon, although I am no fan of Plibersek who, like most politicians did not get the job on merit.
Ben -
Monday, 18 June 2018
Not nit picking. It is really Euro Centric to focus on that one group (the group her family belongs to) at the neglect of all the other migrant groups. I mean, Plibersek didn't say anything about the Chinese when they happen to be the actual, MAIN contributors to this country.
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Monday, 18 June 2018
Chinese the main contributers? Examples? Most of the ones I know sell real estate, I think that is all they are qualified for.
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Tuesday, 19 June 2018
I think there is a real prospect of blowing this completely out of proportion. From my reading of the comments, and taken within the context of the entire comments,I would not conclude the speaker, irrespective of her politics, was downplaying, or overplaying, the role of any particular group of migrants who have entered and made a contribution to Australia. She is however advocating for more generous resettlement services, which I take no issue with either. She also refers to the subsequent waves of migrants, which is a statement of fact. I’m not sure what the point is of highlighting the statements of fact relating to the speaker’s parents being Slovenian and not having English language skills.
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Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Well said Tony, some objectivity here.
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Friday, 22 June 2018
Agree with Tony. Tanya was only using one example but if time permitted, she would have listed the contributions of all other migrant groups in the last 50 years.
As for Miss Scheelings, very poor generalisation about Chinese migrants. They have been here since the 1800's and have contributed in more ways than you can imagine.
Enjoy the queue at Centrelink. -
Friday, 22 June 2018
No I no agree. The Vietnamese bring a lot to Australia. This lady plibisek no talk about us Asian people. When time permits she can include more than one group. For example Greek and Vietnams. This lady only talk about her Europe self.
Phan thi hu ha -
Saturday, 23 June 2018
Enjoy the queue at Centrelink. What an irrelevant, subjective and stupid comment. Obviously stated by someone with an IQ of a kumquat. Furthermore, what makes Jake think I am not Chinese. Sor chai, as we say in Cantonese.
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I notice she didn’t say Indian migrants post war. More political navel gazing. Well spotted.