Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the momentous and compassionate announcement that the Abbott government made here today. Australia will be assisting in the global effort to help those fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq—war-torn countries dominated by the death cult, Daesh. We will be helping resettle an additional 12,000 refugees on top of the 13,750 places currently available in our humanitarian program. This current program will increase to 18,750 in the 2018-19 financial year. These 12,000 refugees will, as the Prime Minister said today, undergo normal security, health and character checks as part of their processing before coming to Australia and being granted permanent protection. People should make no mistake: the Abbott government will continue to be tough on people smugglers, but we will be compassionate to refugees who are most in need. The people smugglers are no longer dictating who comes to this country based on who can pay for the boat ride; we are deciding who comes to our country based on who needs protection the most. That is why our focus will be on the women, children and families of persecuted minorities who have sought refuge from the conflicts in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

We also announced today that an additional 240,000 Syrian and Iraqi people will be assisted by Australia through financial support that we will be providing to the UNHCR. We announced today an additional $44 million on top of our current contribution towards the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq. This brings our total commitment to around $230 million in aid. This important aid funding will go towards helping other countries to settle or resettle these vulnerable people, who have been forced to flee their homes or seek refuge in neighbouring countries. This aid will ensure that these refugees will receive water, food, health care and education.

I can confirm that I have been in discussions with the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton; the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory; and the Northern Territory Treasurer, Dave Tollner, regarding the Northern Territory playing a role in assisting with the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis. The Northern Territory is already a diverse and multicultural community. We Territorians are some of the most generous and welcoming people, particularly to those in such dire need of help. We have good community infrastructure. Thankfully, we have low unemployment, at four per cent, and we currently have historically high rental vacancy rates. So, in my mind, this makes the Territory an ideal place to assist in such a global humanitarian crisis. If we are to provide refuge to these people, it will be a win-win situation for both the refugees and north Australia as we are gearing up for the sorts of nation-building projects outlined in the white paper on developing northern Australia. To reiterate: in the Territory we have jobs, we have accommodation, and we have the will and the spirit to make this happen.

All this can be made possible because of the success of the Abbott government's policies to stop the people-smuggling trade, the horrid trade that risked people's lives and gave priority to people who could afford to pay for a boat ride, not necessarily those who were in most need of protection. Labor allowed people smugglers to select who came to this country. Since the coalition broke the people smugglers' model, Australia has gained capacity to help those in the greatest need. By stopping the boats and the deaths at sea, the coalition has restored integrity to our refugee program and Special Humanitarian Program. Already, quite a few community and church organisations have made contact with me, looking to assist. Today I also had a constituent offering to donate 150 pairs of her thongs to provide these people with something after they had left all their possessions behind. I am proud of the government's decision and know that we are doing all we can to help in this terrible crisis.