News

Refugee Council of New Zealand Meets With Australian
Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Migration

Like many countries, Australia is keen to ensure that skilled migrants entering the country can contribute positively to the country's economy.

Under the annual committee exchange programme between the New Zealand and Australian Parliaments, a delegation of the Australian Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Migration visited New Zealand from 27 to 31 August 2006, to examine New Zealand's skilled migration programme and also its overseas skills recognition process.

The delegation spent part of its first day in Auckland where, accompanied by Hon Mark Gosche, it visited the following:

• The Refugee Status Appeals Authority, Albert Street, Auckland Central
• The Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre, Manger, South Auckland
• Border Control Operations, Auckland International Airport.

At lunch, the delegation met with representatives of the Refugee Council: Dr Rasalingam, President; Heval Hylan, Secretary; Dinesh Tailor, Treasurer; Roger Brookes, Community Liaison, gaining insight into how New Zealand's applied immigration policy currently affects members of migrant and refugee communities.

The delegation leader, Don Randall MP, later wrote to the Refugee Council, expressing thanks for having met our representatives and gaining useful information from them.

The delegation spent the next three days in Wellington on a busy schedule which included:

• Meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Visiting Immigration New Zealand - discussions with senior staff
• Observing Parliament in session, followed by a tour of Parliament
• Meeting with Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith, National Party Spokesperson for Immigration
• Meeting with members of the Federation of New Zealand Ethnic Councils
• Dining with the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand
• Visiting the Residence Review Board
• Visiting Te Papa
• Meeting with Hon David Benson-Pope, Minister of Social Development and Employment
• Meeting Keith Locke, Green Party Spokesperson on Immigration, Ethnic Affairs and Pasifika
• Meeting with RMS - Refugee and Migrant Resettlement Service
• Meeting with Hon Winstone Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Meeting with Hon David Cunliffe, Minister of Immigration
• Attending session of Select Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence & Trade
• Attending session of Select Committee for Transport & Industrial Relations.

The Refugee Council of New Zealand is appreciative of having contributed to the delegation's committee exchange programme, and ultimately to the resulting 325-page report presented to the Australian Parliament on 11 September 2006.

Visiting Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration 2006:

• Mr Don Randall MP, Chair Federal Member for Canning (Western Australia), Liberal Party of Australia
• Senator Linda Kirk, Deputy Chair Senator for South Australia, Australian Labour Party
• Senator Andrew Bartlett, Senator for Queensland, Australian Democrats
• Mr Laurie Ferguson MP, Member for Reid (New South Wales), Australian Labour Party
• The Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence MP, Member for Freemantle (Western Australia), Australian Labour Party
• Senator Stephen Parry, Senator for Tasmania Liberal Party of Australia
• Accompanying Official - Dr Kate Sullivan Inquiry Secretary, Joint Standing Committee on Migration