The Syria crisis must end Australia's intense domestic focus on refugees
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Version 0 of 1. There are times in our national journey when we have to take a deep breath, look at new facts, and set a new course. Changing facts, changing realities, in many different contexts demand changed approaches. Related: Australia to accept an extra 12,000 Syrian refugees and will join US-led airstrikes From the fall of Singapore, to responding to the ambitions of international communism, to the opening up of the world economy, to the refugee crisis in Indochina, to the global financial crisis, and now the post- Iraq turmoil in which we are involved, we have examples of where we have had to set a new national course because the facts external to us have changed. The intense domestic focus of our refugee policy since Tampa is no longer good enough in the circumstances the world faces. Resettling an extra 12,000 refugees is certainly appropriate but, worldwide, the refugees and displaced people who are resettled is a minuscule proportion of the total, more than 50 million. In one whole year recently fewer than 90,000 people were resettled in any country; in this narrow context that Australia claims to be a respectable contributor and in that respect it is. But what of the majority, of whom most are outside even the UNHCR net? The carnage across Syria and Iraq is destroying the lives of millions and underpins the human tsunami roaring towards Europe. It will require inspired leadership across the world to deal with that reality, the facts as they are today. Australia has shown the capacity to be part of the world leadership in various crisis situations. The 1970s work with the US, Canada and France was part of a successful international response to a large refugee crisis in Indochina. When the physical tsunami of 2004 hit our region, the Howard government responded with imaginative generosity. The same government responded to the tragedy of Kosovo. We have the capacity to be part of a broader solution. In the past we have been prepared to do so, and that same preparedness is needed now. One can only hope that the minister for immigration is going to Europe with the authority to make Australia part of an international response that goes beyond an increase in the number of Syrian refugees coming here within our existing quota. What is needed is a generous number of refugees being admitted to Australia and an offer to share the burden being borne by countries overwhelmed by numbers we find it impossible even to imagine. Just a few months ago, when our region was grappling with refugees from Myanmar stranded on boats, we saw our regional neighbours, countries vital to us, coming together to find solutions. On all reports, we stood back from what became a shared effort at finding a solution, sending yet again a message about our national isolation. Yet refugee issues, not least in our own region, are beyond any singular national solution. We need the cooperation of other countries if we are to protect our long term national interest, as they need ours. It is not good enough to limit ourselves to putting boots on the ground in Timor or planes in the air. We need to be part of the international networks needed to deal with issues beyond the capacity of any one country. Think terrorism, fisheries, drugs, climate change, whatever. Going it alone does not work. Related: Poll shows Australians back rise in refugee intake, but criticise Abbott's handling of crisis We can only hope that the prime minister, Tony Abbott, can look at these issues beyond a domestic campaign focus and embrace the reality: we must face the horrendous facts and be part of the solution. My old Liberal party colleague, Jim Carlton, told me years ago that our first task as politicians was to find the right answer. The next task was to work out how to sell the right answer. Too often that order is reversed, the politics of the issue is given precedence over the search for the right answer. We see it as much in the paralysis of economic policy as we see it in our approach to refugee policy. It is time for the prime minister to take a deep breath. |