New Zealand and Pasifika Pathways Up for Discussion

I’m really proud to represent the electorate with the second-largest New Zealand and Pacific Island community in Australia. It’s not only a big community in terms of population; it’s a big community in terms of spirit and support for one another.

Since I was elected last year, many local New Zealand citizens have come to me concerned that their voice is not heard by the Federal Government, because they do not have the right to vote in Australia.

That’s why last Friday, I was pleased to join Labor’s Shadow Minister for Immigration, Richard Marles, to host a forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by local New Zealand citizens living in Australia.

Last week’s forum was an opportunity for us to discuss important issues, such as citizenship pathways, education and training opportunities, payments and support, and local experiences.

Overwhelmingly, the message was that New Zealanders in Australia contribute a lot to our community both economically – through the taxes they pay here – and culturally.

The forum was held at Griffith University’s Logan Campus. The campus has done a lot of work with the local New Zealand and Pasifika community, helping find ways to improve access for young people to university.

There are some very difficult issues at play here and not all of them can be fixed with a click of the fingers, but listening and learning from each other is a very good place to start.

First published in the Logan Reporter on 4 July 2014

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