HKB 020/10
100001990
HK / Austrelic 114 1
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION CANBERRA
१
IF Lindsay Esq,
SPD
FCO
Yea I
Lain,
AUSTRALIA: IMMIGRATION
23 November 1990
Ry7/12
Miss Maroden
Mr Morth $10/27/10 (para 12)
༦ གྱུར་
for
per.
1. I was one of the about 650 participants in the major "Immigration Outlook Conference" arranged by the Bureau of Immigration Research (BIR) in Melbourne on 14-16 November. There were a few foreign observers from overseas or resident diplomatic missions. The majority of participants were actively involved in work concerning or affected by immigration. The conference was addressed by the Prime Minister, two State Premiers, the Opposition Immigration spokesman, the Chairman of the Parlamentary Migration Regulations Committee and by leading academics, journalists and public servants. Sir Frank Holmes from Wellington's Victorian University spoke about the CER and Donald Tsang (Chief Secretary's Office, Hong Kong) gave a good presentation on emigration's consequences for Hong Kong's economy. I attach a copy of the conference's outline programme.
Conference Purpose
2. The conference reached no decisions and made no firm recommendations. It was not designed to do so. Its aim was to follow on from the Fitzgerald Report (see paras 10-13 of the Annex to the High Commissioner's despatch of 20 February) and to bring the focus of Australia's public immigration debate firmly away from anecdote, myth and emotion to one of fact and scientific /economic analysis. The need for this was stressed by a number of the politicians who spoke.
Speeches
3. I attach a summary of the interventions made by the Prime Minister, Mr Ruddock (Opposition spokesman), Sir Frank Holmes and by the State representatives. Copies of full texts are also enclosed as follows: the Prime Minister (you, RAD, CGs and Wellington), Mr Ruddock (you), Sir Frank Holmes (you and Wellington), Donald Tsang (you and HKD), Mr Greiner (Sydney), Mrs Kirner (Melbourne), Mr Hill, WA (Perth).
4.
The Prime Minister's and Mr Ruddock's speeches were carefully drafted and clearly set out government and opposition policy respectively. Mr Hawke delivered his speech with characteristic emotion. His firm endorsement of Australia's immigration programme won loud applause from the many pro-migration activists present. I was sitting next to Jenny MacLeod (Writers for an Ecologically Sustainable Population see para 7 below): she groaned with her head in her hands through most of the speech!