[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] when I returned to Australia in 2003
when I returned to Australia in 2003
when I returned to Australia in 2003 after a wonderful six-month stint as a
after a wonderful six-month stint as a
after a wonderful six-month stint as a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown
Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown
Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington DC my family
University in Washington DC my family
University in Washington DC my family and I was severely jet-lagged so by the
and I was severely jet-lagged so by the
and I was severely jet-lagged so by the time we made it to dinner and then
time we made it to dinner and then
time we made it to dinner and then two-year-old was sound asleep so my
two-year-old was sound asleep so my
two-year-old was sound asleep so my husband over dinner turned to our
husband over dinner turned to our
husband over dinner turned to our four-year-old and asked her how would
four-year-old and asked her how would
four-year-old and asked her how would you describe your brother she stopped
you describe your brother she stopped
you describe your brother she stopped and reflected and proclaimed he’s a very
and reflected and proclaimed he’s a very
and reflected and proclaimed he’s a very happy boy who likes eating meat and he’s
happy boy who likes eating meat and he’s
happy boy who likes eating meat and he’s an Australian well I was taken aback
an Australian well I was taken aback
an Australian well I was taken aback how many four-year-olds would sink to
how many four-year-olds would sink to
how many four-year-olds would sink to identify by their nationality but that
identify by their nationality but that
identify by their nationality but that Fulbright experience benefited all of us
Fulbright experience benefited all of us
Fulbright experience benefited all of us she was at an early age able to
she was at an early age able to
she was at an early age able to recognize from her preschool experience
recognize from her preschool experience
recognize from her preschool experience that in some ways she was different
that in some ways she was different
that in some ways she was different she was an Australian but that in so
she was an Australian but that in so
she was an Australian but that in so many other ways she was the same there
many other ways she was the same there
many other ways she was the same there was empathy and transformation
was empathy and transformation
was empathy and transformation I was working then and have continued to
I was working then and have continued to
I was working then and have continued to work on questions of citizenship and
work on questions of citizenship and
work on questions of citizenship and globalization and this has become even
globalization and this has become even
globalization and this has become even more pressing over the past few years
more pressing over the past few years
more pressing over the past few years with concerns about terrorism my message
with concerns about terrorism my message
with concerns about terrorism my message tonight is that the focus on security
tonight is that the focus on security
tonight is that the focus on security and terrorism has distorted our
and terrorism has distorted our
and terrorism has distorted our discussions on citizenship citizenship
discussions on citizenship citizenship
discussions on citizenship citizenship is a device for inclusion it is a frame
is a device for inclusion it is a frame
is a device for inclusion it is a frame for empathy
for empathy
for empathy and transformation but instead over the
and transformation but instead over the
and transformation but instead over the past few years leaders all around the
past few years leaders all around the
past few years leaders all around the world have focused on citizenship as
world have focused on citizenship as
world have focused on citizenship as exclusion which has led to a
exclusion which has led to a
exclusion which has led to a vulnerability for dual citizens in
vulnerability for dual citizens in
vulnerability for dual citizens in Australia I’m interested in this room
Australia I’m interested in this room
Australia I’m interested in this room how many of you actually hold more than
how many of you actually hold more than
how many of you actually hold more than one citizenship a significant number and
one citizenship a significant number and
one citizenship a significant number and then if I move to ask how many of you
then if I move to ask how many of you
then if I move to ask how many of you know other people who are dual citizens
know other people who are dual citizens
know other people who are dual citizens in Australia
in Australia
in Australia let’s now raise our hands of course we
let’s now raise our hands of course we
let’s now raise our hands of course we all do we live in a multicultural
all do we live in a multicultural
all do we live in a multicultural society and this is a good thing it’s
society and this is a good thing it’s
society and this is a good thing it’s positive to be a dual citizen there are
positive to be a dual citizen there are
positive to be a dual citizen there are so many benefits we can travel we can
so many benefits we can travel we can
so many benefits we can travel we can connect to more than one country we can
connect to more than one country we can
connect to more than one country we can also benefit Australia by enriching
also benefit Australia by enriching
also benefit Australia by enriching Australia’s sense of itself in an
Australia’s sense of itself in an
Australia’s sense of itself in an international world however over the
international world however over the
international world however over the last couple of years our politicians and
last couple of years our politicians and
last couple of years our politicians and representatives have used the device of
representatives have used the device of
representatives have used the device of citizenship as a form of exclusion and
citizenship as a form of exclusion and
citizenship as a form of exclusion and of concentrating on questions of
of concentrating on questions of
of concentrating on questions of allegiance in being concerned about the
allegiance in being concerned about the
allegiance in being concerned about the security of Australian citizens both
security of Australian citizens both
security of Australian citizens both here and abroad in fact at the end of
here and abroad in fact at the end of
here and abroad in fact at the end of 2015 the government introduced an
2015 the government introduced an
2015 the government introduced an amendment to the Australian citizenship
amendment to the Australian citizenship
amendment to the Australian citizenship Act it is now the case that if you are a
Act it is now the case that if you are a
Act it is now the case that if you are a dual citizen and you go overseas and
dual citizen and you go overseas and
dual citizen and you go overseas and commit certain terrorist offences that
commit certain terrorist offences that
commit certain terrorist offences that you will be subject to the loss of your
you will be subject to the loss of your
you will be subject to the loss of your Australian citizenship even if you were
Australian citizenship even if you were
Australian citizenship even if you were born in Australia now
born in Australia now
born in Australia now don’t get me wrong I am not condoning
don’t get me wrong I am not condoning
don’t get me wrong I am not condoning that activity in any sense but the real
that activity in any sense but the real
that activity in any sense but the real question is is citizenship the correct
question is is citizenship the correct
question is is citizenship the correct device for punishing those individuals
device for punishing those individuals
device for punishing those individuals moreover does stripping them of their
moreover does stripping them of their
moreover does stripping them of their citizenship
citizenship
citizenship necessarily protect us anymore
necessarily protect us anymore
necessarily protect us anymore indeed as individuals from Australia
indeed as individuals from Australia
indeed as individuals from Australia travel overseas often how much more
travel overseas often how much more
travel overseas often how much more protected are they if those individuals
protected are they if those individuals
protected are they if those individuals are still out there without the
are still out there without the
are still out there without the connection of the Australian government
connection of the Australian government
connection of the Australian government to manage their activity but there is an
to manage their activity but there is an
to manage their activity but there is an even more significant issue in my view
even more significant issue in my view
even more significant issue in my view and that is that it is only dual
and that is that it is only dual
and that is that it is only dual citizens who will be subject to the loss
citizens who will be subject to the loss
citizens who will be subject to the loss of their citizenship if you look at the
of their citizenship if you look at the
of their citizenship if you look at the person next to you and think one of you
person next to you and think one of you
person next to you and think one of you is an sole Australian citizen and the
is an sole Australian citizen and the
is an sole Australian citizen and the other is a dual citizen and the two of
other is a dual citizen and the two of
other is a dual citizen and the two of you conduct exactly the same activity
you conduct exactly the same activity
you conduct exactly the same activity overseas only the dual citizen will lose
overseas only the dual citizen will lose
overseas only the dual citizen will lose their Australian citizenship now the
their Australian citizenship now the
their Australian citizenship now the reason for this is because Australia
reason for this is because Australia
reason for this is because Australia rightly in my view is a signatory to the
rightly in my view is a signatory to the
rightly in my view is a signatory to the Convention on the reduction of
Convention on the reduction of
Convention on the reduction of statelessness so the argument was
statelessness so the argument was
statelessness so the argument was successfully put at the time of the
successfully put at the time of the
successfully put at the time of the discussion of this new provision that we
discussion of this new provision that we
discussion of this new provision that we could not strip sole Australian citizens
could not strip sole Australian citizens
could not strip sole Australian citizens who conduct that activity overseas of
who conduct that activity overseas of
who conduct that activity overseas of their citizenship because that would
their citizenship because that would
their citizenship because that would leave them stateless and being stateless
leave them stateless and being stateless
leave them stateless and being stateless of course is not a positive position to
of course is not a positive position to
of course is not a positive position to be in but it reminds us of the
be in but it reminds us of the
be in but it reminds us of the significance of the status of
significance of the status of
significance of the status of citizenship so we have created an
citizenship so we have created an
citizenship so we have created an environment where it is no longer secure
environment where it is no longer secure
environment where it is no longer secure we are no longer secure as dual citizens
we are no longer secure as dual citizens
we are no longer secure as dual citizens in the protection of that very
in the protection of that very
in the protection of that very significant status so why this move and
significant status so why this move and
significant status so why this move and concern about dual citizenship well in a
concern about dual citizenship well in a
concern about dual citizenship well in a time of questions of allegiance there is
time of questions of allegiance there is
time of questions of allegiance there is an easy Avenue for politicians to use
an easy Avenue for politicians to use
an easy Avenue for politicians to use that device to proclaim a sense of
that device to proclaim a sense of
that device to proclaim a sense of action and there are many people in
action and there are many people in
action and there are many people in society who questioned your citizenship
society who questioned your citizenship
society who questioned your citizenship if we go back to the family environment
if we go back to the family environment
if we go back to the family environment we can think of the two different
we can think of the two different
we can think of the two different responses to dual citizenship in the
responses to dual citizenship in the
responses to dual citizenship in the following way if you think of
following way if you think of
following way if you think of citizenship like marriage then the
citizenship like marriage then the
citizenship like marriage then the notion of only having one partner one
notion of only having one partner one
notion of only having one partner one citizenship makes sense however if you
citizenship makes sense however if you
citizenship makes sense however if you think of citizenship more like
think of citizenship more like
think of citizenship more like Parenthood we all know that we can have
Parenthood we all know that we can have
Parenthood we all know that we can have more than one child without that
more than one child without that
more than one child without that undermining our sense of commitment and
undermining our sense of commitment and
undermining our sense of commitment and loyalty and concern for any of our
loyalty and concern for any of our
loyalty and concern for any of our children so whilst our daughter on that
children so whilst our daughter on that
children so whilst our daughter on that evening had the sole attention of her
evening had the sole attention of her
evening had the sole attention of her parents she also had the security of
parents she also had the security of
parents she also had the security of knowing that her brother would be awake
knowing that her brother would be awake
knowing that her brother would be awake before too long to share that love and
before too long to share that love and
before too long to share that love and attention and I believe that we should
attention and I believe that we should
attention and I believe that we should be campaigning politicians and our
be campaigning politicians and our
be campaigning politicians and our representatives to recognize that we
representatives to recognize that we
representatives to recognize that we must think of dual citizenship like
must think of dual citizenship like
must think of dual citizenship like Parenthood and to resist these moves
Parenthood and to resist these moves
Parenthood and to resist these moves towards using citizenship as a device of
towards using citizenship as a device of
towards using citizenship as a device of exclusion we should return to affirming
exclusion we should return to affirming
exclusion we should return to affirming the multicultural nature of Australia
the multicultural nature of Australia
the multicultural nature of Australia and resist the resistance to dual
and resist the resistance to dual
and resist the resistance to dual citizenship
citizenship
citizenship [Applause]
”
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