With the recent change in Australia’s 457 visas, echoing the many anti-immigration sentiments across many decades, there has been an emphasis on upholding “Australian values”. But what does this really mean? And what exactly are Australian values?
On April 18 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the abolishment of the 457 classification visa for skilled migrant workers. The reason for this sudden discontinuation, a visa that has in spirit been around since John Howard introduced it in 1996, is to put “Australian jobs and Australian values” first.
While the issue of migrant visas, and immigration as a whole, is a deeply complex and hotly debated topic, there seems to be an emphasis in Australian political discourse in upholding “Australian Values”, yet there is little exploration in what that actually means.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you, but the point that I am trying to make is that I don’t think many members of government do either.
Looking at the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s Life in Australia: Australian Values and Principles, there appears to be very to draw from in distilling what our government means when they use this blanket term. While I do concede it does promote individual freedoms, equality, freedom of speech, and peacefulness, but how does this differ from any other democratic nation?
It appears that on paper the government's interpretation of "Australian Values" is simply to follow Australian Law, in which it is no stretch of the imagination that anyone abides by our laws whether an Australian citizen or not. It seems as though the intention is to put the onus on us to create our own interpretation of national values, while creating the impression that those who come here to seek employment or a new home do not share the same.
