Policy agendas and immigration in Australia 1996 –2012

Abstract

Immigration in Australia is inherently a controversial topic. Events such as the MV Tampa affair cause increased media and legislative attention but increased legislative attention in the policy area do not always follow such dramatic events. We analyse media and legislative attention in the area of immigration and show increased activity in parliament around both dramatic events discussed in the media and also over more technical issues. Increased attention within parliament sometimes occurs outside of the gaze of the media.

A ‘fair go’ values framework for public policy

“…As a settler‐colonial society, immigration policies have been central to the economic and cultural development of Australia in the post‐1788 period, with these policies a frequent topic of debate in parliament and newspapers (Bolous et al., 2013). Enduring ideas like the ‘fair go’ feature prominently in these public and political debates about national identity and the role of government in shaping society through migration policy (Lee, 2007).…”

“…Our purpose in this section is not to document these different eras extensively, but to show how our fair go configurations illuminate debate and interest group contestation within these policies over time, and especially in the post‐World War Two era. Distinct historical paradigms are visible in immigration policy, including: the explicitly racist ‘White Australia Policy’ in effect from 1901 until the early 1970s; the opening of migration to non‐White arrivals including significant numbers of refugees in the period 1973–1978; an explicitly multicultural immigration policy geared toward attracting, retaining, and integrating diverse new migrant and refugee groups as citizens between 1978 and 1996; and the most recent period that has witnessed a shift away from family reunions to a much greater emphasis on the apparent economic benefits of skilled migration, students, and temporary work visa holders (Bolous et al., 2013). Below, we detail how our ‘fair go’ configurations apply to migration in Table 3, and then detail the contradictions and political contests which have shaped to whom the fair go applies and in what form over time in migration.…”

Causes, Content and Party Influence on the Australian Policy Agenda

“…We will examine to what extent, if at all, opposition parties can affect the agenda (analysed through parliamentary questions) or whether it is led by the government or outside factors. We can describe and we can correlate various factors (Boulus et al ). Demonstrating causal processes is more problematic (Gerring , Part III).…”