Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The children overboard, as the member for Cowan reminds me. Over and over again, we have seen shocking political abuses of vulnerable people. We have seen the politics of fear deployed too often in this place and much too often in the media. That has been to the cost of all of us, and most particularly to our cost as a country that has historically been an exemplar in this space. When we think about modern Australia, it is impossible to overlook the fact that since World War II we have resettled 930,000 refugees. It is impossible to conceive of the country we live in today—this vibrant, diverse and dynamic multicultural society without thinking about the contribution of those 930,000 people—their resilience, their strength, their talents and their contributions. Everything we do in this space must seek to honour that—to honour our best side—to the world.

I don't say this to walk away from the tough political choices that are here, but the frame for this has got to be in the terms the Prime Minister has so often set out: we can maintain strong borders without abandoning our humanity. I put it slightly stronger than that: we can only maintain strong borders if we elevate our compassion and humanity.

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