We need to see Australia’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis in perspective – in relation to what’s been done elsewhere and to what Australia has done on similar occasions in the past.
Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss how much more the government can get through the Senate, the refugee intake from Syria and whether or not there will be an election before the next budget.
Australia must have a realistic view of the end goal in increasing its efforts in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, and start planning to stabilise and rebuild any territory retaken.
The federal government’s decision to take 12,000 extra refugees from the Syrian-Iraq conflict will cost the budget A$700 million over the forward estimates.
The pressure the Abbott government faced over the Syrian refugee crisis hints at a broader trend. Global political dynamics are now exposing a credibility deficit in Australian foreign policy.
Australia should not reserve its help for those fleeing conflict in distant wars. Its first duty should be to those who face death and persecution in its own region.
We need to find ways of speaking about the horrific actions of Islamic State that help, not hinder, understanding of the magnitude of those crimes and what needs to be done to combat them.
Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University