Liberals want ‘Australian values’ screening for new migrants

The Coalition wants to toughen screening to make sure new migrants agree with Australian values, as Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s frontbench works on an immigration policy that will unite fractured MPs while taking a fight to Labor.

Enhancing the Australian values statement that prospective migrants must sign when they apply for certain visas is one option being explored by Ley’s home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam and immigration spokesman Paul Scarr, who have been asked to design a policy in the next few weeks.

Ley last week signalled her next fight with the government would be over migration, as she seeks to temper freelancing from backbenchers, such as leadership rival Andrew Hastie and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, after the Right faction won the numbers in a showdown on climate policy.

But as Indian-Australians report increased racism – and the Liberals mop up the fallout from comments made by Price earlier this year – Ley, Duniam and Scarr have been at pains to emphasise they do not want a debate about race or religion.

Immigration has been a political weak spot for Labor, as arrivals soared after the pandemic and the government repeatedly failed to meet its forecasts. It also comes with risks for Ley, who is trying to appeal to migrant communities while stemming a bleed of Coalition voters to One Nation.

Duniam hinted at the opposition’s thinking on Tuesday, when he told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program that the policy needed to ensure new migrants held Australian values, similarly to how new citizens are asked to take a pledge.

“We do need to look at whether people share our values here, whether they believe in our pluralistic approach to life, our freedom of religion as a foundational element of our society,” he said.

“We need to do everything we can to ensure that we uphold Australian values, as we ask people to when they take the citizenship pledge at the ceremonies that we all attend so regularly. There should be a way of ensuring those values are upheld in this process.”

Asked to elaborate on Wednesday, Duniam said the Coalition wanted to make sure the immigration system strengthened Australia’s social cohesion, days after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancelled the visa of a man who appeared at a Neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament.

“Standing up for Australia means being clear that we don’t welcome people who seek to divide communities or undermine the values we all share – instead, we need people who add to and strengthen those values,” he told this masthead.

“People that want to come here do so on our invitation, and if they are not going to act in a way that our society accepts, whether that be through breaking the law or seeking to generate division, then they shouldn’t be allowed in.”

Opposition sources said bolstering the Australian Values Statement, which prospective migrants must sign as a condition of their visa, was a key option being canvassed in the policy process, which is also working out how to align visa streams with Australia’s skills needs and infrastructure capacity. The policy has been fast-tracked to avoid another situation like the net zero debate, where Ley loses control of the party room.

The current Australian Values Statement requires visa applicants to agree they understand Australia values freedom of religion, the rule of law, a fair go that embraces tolerance, equality of opportunity for all people, and English as a national language.

Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary of the immigration department, said all migrants were required to do at present was sign the document – there was no test. Another option would be to make new migrants sit a values assessment, like the one that exists for citizenship, but that would be more cumbersome.

“Given the volume of visas we issue, that would grind the system to an unbelievable slowdown. Testing also involves costs and time,” he said.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said entry to Australia should come with a commitment to honour the country’s values. “Our egalitarianism, respect for our laws and heritage, commitment to liberal democracy and the equality for men and women come to mind,” she said.

McKenzie said she thought the process should be enhanced. “Job applications are used to weed out people who don’t culturally fit a business, so the same should apply to those who don’t culturally fit our country,” she said.

“We ask everyone who comes here to ‘declare’ any items which might harm Australia’s biosecurity every time they enter our country. We could ask them their views on our values and our laws as well.”

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.