A former Australian immigration minister has blamed a lack of public consultation for the absence of considered debate over migration policy, as the government, Coalition and One Nation propose separate measures to reduce migration.
Philip Ruddock, who served as immigration minister from 1996 to 2003 under prime minister John Howard, said governments had neglected the value of speaking directly with communities, businesses and groups opposed to further immigration.
“I don’t think any minister before or after me has conducted regular consultations around Australia in the way in which we did,” Mr Ruddock said.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at Parliament House on Wednesday night to promote his book about his time in the portfolio. Former deputy secretary of immigration Abul Rizvi also took part.
Mr Ruddock said he had brought different groups together to discuss the direction of immigration policy, even when agreement was unlikely.
“We would get the communities, the business lobbies, Australians Against Further Immigration. We get them all in the room, and we would discuss with them the way forward,” he said.
He said being heard and included in the debate had helped create “a common sense of purpose”, adding: “I do lament that those who followed haven’t seen fit to do so.”
Calls for clearer explanation of immigration policy
Dr Rizvi said Immigration Minister Tony Burke was failing to explain and justify Labor’s approach, while inaccurate claims about migration were contributing to public confusion.
He said the Liberal Party had issued a media release claiming immigration was “exploding”, but argued the figures used to support that claim were fundamentally wrong.
“It took a two-minute check on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website to prove what was put out in a press release by the Liberal Party that they were wrong,” Dr Rizvi told the audience.
He said Labor’s failure to correct such claims at an early stage was adding to a disconnect with the wider public.
“Why is an old geezer like me explaining it? Why isn’t the minister explaining it?” Dr Rizvi said.
In recent weeks, the government, Coalition and One Nation have each announced different proposals to cut migration and reconsider the role of international students and tradespeople in the economy.
Dr Rizvi said the success of any policy would depend on whether the government could demonstrate that it had control over immigration.
