Welcome to the AIIA NSW

The AIIA NSW is an independent, non-profit organisation, committed to the promotion of informed discussion among the Australian public on international issues and their impact on Australia. Members and visitors hear well informed speakers discuss international issues in an informal environment at the historic Glover Cottages, at 124 Kent St, Millers Point, Sydney.  

Rethinking Policy on Asylum Seekers and Migration

Come and hear John Menadue AO

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The event will start on: Tuesday, 06 March 2012 6:00 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 06 March 2012 7:30 PM

At The Glover Cottages, Sydney

124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW

    nsw.branch@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: nsw   

Australia’s policy on asylum seekers and immigration can be a dividing force in Australian society. Yet it can be argued - and indeed has been acknowledged - that over the last century, immigration policy has made the principal contribution to Australia’s success and we can be counted as one of the world’s most successful multicultural nations.

For  the Gillard government, however, Australia’s asylum seekers policy has been cited as one of its major failures. After ignoring the Australian Labor Party’s preference for on-shore processing, the Gillard government attempted to process all boat people at Christmas Island. When this proved to be a failure, the government then pursued the so-called Malaysian solution, which was declared illegal by the High Court. 

On immigration, Labor has vacillated between the idea of a “Big Australia” and restricting the number of migrants, despite evidence of an increasing skills shortage.

To bring his knowledge and experience to this controversial issue, we are delighted to welcome John Menadue AO, whose many top level jobs in government and the private sector include a three year spell as secretary of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs during a controversial period between 1980 and 1983.

 

John Menadue stills writes and broadcasts regularly on the key issues we shall address on March 6. He recently told the ABC he thought the Malaysia solution should be revived as a first step towards a regional solution and he wrote a blog on his web site advocating this.

 

He is perhaps best known for the period he spent as head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1974 to 1976. He was closely involved in the events of November 11, 1975, and worked for prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser. He was Australian ambassador to Japan from 1976 to 1980. In 1997, he received the Japanese Imperial Award, The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Kun-itto Zuiho-sho), the highest honour awarded to foreigners who are not head of state or head of government.

 

In the private sector, he has been general manager of News Limited and managing director of Qantas.

 

This will be a very special evening, so early bookings are essential.



Entry:

Members: $15.00; Concession members/students $10.00; Visitors $20.00



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AIIANSW starts new blog, posts videos

The AIIA in NSW has started a new blog to provide its members with more news and pictures about its activities, including videos of most of its meetings, as well as comments about about major foreign policy issues. 

Called the Glover Cottages Portal - after the name of its historic Sydney headquarters - it will provide comment and analysis as well as liove links to specific web pages of media that cover intern ational issues well, such as ABC's Lateline, the Financial Times and the New York Times. 

Edited by AIIANSW council member Shannon Barnes, the Glover Cottages Portal is open to anyone with a positive interest in international affairs. 

AIIA NSW hosts senior Chinese delegation

 

A delegation from China's State Council Information Office in Beijing, headed by Dong Yunhu, the deputy director, visited the AIIA at the Glover Cottages on December 16 for an exchange of views on journalism and media developments in Asia.
Mr Dong and his team of six had come to Sydney from Indonesia, where he delivered a speech at the 4th Bali Democracy Forum. He is an author and former secretary-general of the China Society for Human Rights Studies.

Colin Chapman, AIIA NSW president, opened the meeting with an overview of the Australian media, noting that only one national newspaper and three metropolitan dailies took international affairs seriously, while only one broadcaster, the ABC, supported a correspondent in Beijing, though there were a number of internet entities that provided analysis and comment.
Louisa Graham, general manager of the Walkleys Foundation, and a former AIIA NSW vice-president, told the visitors that one good reason why the Australian press had not been dragged into scandals like the one in Britain, which is currently the subject to a major investigation, was because Australian journalists were bound by a code of ethics. Mr Dong asked for - and was given a copy of the code. 

In his remarks he made it clear he favoured an open press, while also adding the caveat that in China journalists were obliged to consider also their responsibilities to society. Mr Dong said China is struggling with the rapidity at which communications are developing through the use of internet and electronic means. This was highlighted in a question by William Hobart who asked how the SCIO felt about the micro blogging surge in China. He stressed that media freedom is very important, but defined freedom as the ability to “act within the law,” and emphasised that as the media grows in importance and reach so too does its responsibilities, such as not to undermine public order or security.

The two sides agreed to continue their dialogue, possibly by holding a conference on journalistic principles and standards. The China State Council also agreed to investigate an AIIA request to provide more information on the problems and challenges China faces in addressing climate change. 


 


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