SUBJECT | Election Review and Citizenship Ceremonies | 19 December 2022
DANICA DE GIORGIO: Joining me now live is Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan. Thanks for joining us. Why has the party lost touch with modern Australia?
DAN TEHAN: Well, what the review shows is that we've got to make sure that we’re doing that outreach, doing that engagement and ensuring that we are in touch with modern Australia. Now every political movement has to make sure that they are continuing to update their systems, modernise their practice, and in putting all the latest techniques in place to make sure that they‘re engaged. The review sets out the way that we need to do that and the key now, the absolute key now, is that we adopt the recommendations and make sure we implement them. Plenty of reviews are done. They have the greatest intention in the world, but then they’re left on a shelf to get dusty. We've got to make sure we now get on and implement this review, and that is the key takeout from what we've been told.
DE GIORGIO: The review calls for, for example, a greater representation of women and ethnic groups. Overall, how long will it take to change the culture?
TEHAN: Oh, look, I think we can change the culture in the coming months, in the coming years, and we will change the culture in the lead-up to the next election — we have to. If we are to win the next election, we have to change the culture immediately. We've got pre-selections coming up over the next 12 to 18 months so we've just got to make sure we now begin to implement. In my role as Shadow Immigration and Citizenship Minister, I've already been out into communities engaging with potential candidates, because that is the work we have to do and we have to do it from now.
DE GIORGIO: Speaking of which, local councils will no longer be forced to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. Do you support this?
TEHAN: This is a very, very retrograde step. Basically, the Government has said to councils you now get a leave pass on whether they hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, and that diminishes Australia Day. We already know that councils are now deciding not to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. So new citizens now will not get the choice to have their citizenship ceremony on our national day, now which is not a good situation for them. They've had this choice taken away from them and the sad reality is, this is Anthony Albanese crab-walking away from his commitment to keeping Australia Day on the 26th of January.
DE GIORGIO: Dan Tehan, we do have to leave it there. Thank you for joining us this morning.
