Speech by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith MP – St Stephen's College, New Delhi
3 March 2010
Rev Dr Valson Thampu, Principal of St Stephen’s College.
Staff and students.
It is a great pleasure to be back in India, and an honour to be invited by your principal to this prestigious centre of learning.
I thank Reverend Thampu for inviting me to speak to you today.
Since its founding nearly 130 years ago, St Stephen’s has earned a reputation as one of India’s premier colleges.
Over the years it has consistently produced outstanding alumni.
Last night, one of those alumni, India’s Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal, graciously hosted me at the Australia-India World Cup Hockey goodwill match.
As well as playing for World Cup points, the teams played for the inaugural Ajitpal - Charlesworth Trophy, named after two of the hockey greats of India and Australia, Ajitpal Singh and Ric Charlesworth.
Both these champion players were present at the match.
Ric Charlesworth was a member of the Australian team which won the World Cup in 1986.
Ajitpal was the captain of the Indian team which won the World Cup in 1975, a match which I saw in Kuala Lumpur.
During my last visit to India in October last year, I announced that the Australia India Council would fund three Indian hockey scholarships - one for a young male player, one for a young female player, and one for a coach - to undertake intensive training with the Australian Institute of Sport in my home town of Perth.
Australia’s relationship with India, of course, extends well beyond sporting links.
Today I’d like to share with you some thoughts on the strategic partnership that underpins Australia’s relationship with India, how education fits into the broader bilateral relationship, and talk about what Australia is doing to address the safety of Indian students in Australia.
A Strategic Partnership
My visit to India this week is very much aimed at moving forward with bilateral cooperation between Australia and India under the framework of the comprehensive and enduring strategic partnership which our Prime Ministers announced last November.
I am very optimistic about the future of the Australia-India relationship, and with good reason.
We are Indian Ocean neighbours.
We share a common language and a common democratic heritage.
Our shared commitment to pluralism, human rights and the rule of law make Australia and India natural partners in addressing many international challenges.
We have common interests in the prosperity and stability of our region.
For Australia and India, now is the right time to move forwardto focus our energies on fulfilling the tremendous potential of our relationship as strategic partners.
In keeping with strategic partnership, Australia is pursuing deeper bilateral, regional and international cooperation with India in a wide range of fields, including on strategic and security matters, climate change and international trade.
We want to work with India - including in the United Nations, the WTO, the G20 and the East Asia Summitto achieve practical outcomes on these and other issues which serve the community of nations in a balanced way.
Economically, there is also tremendous potential.
In 2008-09, India was Australia's fourth-largest merchandise export market and seventh largest merchandise trading partner.
Two-way trade - including goods and services - was nearly $A22 billion.
It is remarkable that, in the midst of the global economic crisis, our trade actually grew 55 per cent over the previous year, making India Australia’s fastest growing major trading partner.
On current trends, within a few years India is likely to become Australia's third largest export market behind China and Japan.
Investment links are also growing.
Indian companies have shown a great interest in investing in Australia, in the minerals resources industry, as well as in agriculture, information technology and consulting.
Australia is already a key supplier of the resources India needs to fuel its economic growth and is well positioned to meet India's energy demand into the future.
Importantly, we are close to finalising a joint study on the feasibility of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement.
A comprehensive, commercially meaningful FTA could deliver substantial new market access for exporters and investors, and create job opportunities in both of our countries.
Providing Quality Education
Over the last decade Australia has emerged as a destination of choice for many Indian students studying overseas.
Enrolments of Indian students in Australia have increased at an average annual rate of over 40 per cent since 2002, with over 120,000 enrolments recorded last year.
The vast majority of these students find their experience living and studying in Australia to be a rewarding and positive one.
Australia and India are now further strengthening our educational links through a broad knowledge partnership, ranging from collaborative projects in education to joint academic research.
Science and technology cooperation - now underpinned by a $100 million expansion of the bilateral Strategic Research Fund - is an increasingly important part of this knowledge partnership.
This fund is Australia’s single largest for science collaboration with any country in the world today.
There are currently 135 institutional links between Australian and Indian tertiary institutions. These range from study abroad programs to staff exchanges and research collaborations.
As a result, there are now thousands of Indians who have been trained in Australia as IT specialists, engineers, doctors, dentists and accountants.
For those of you considering whether to study or work in Australia, this shows the long-term opportunities that exist in the fields of education, science and research.
Australia has a reputation as one of the leading international student destinations in the world.
Our national training system is outstanding. Our universities are world-class. Indeed, seven Australian universities are ranked in the top 100 universities in the world, according to the 2009 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
While most overseas education providers in Australia do an excellent job, the student safety issue has revealed some areas for improvement in our education and visa arrangements for international students.
Australian Governments at all levels - through the Council of Australian Governments - are developing an international student strategy in order to improve the experience of overseas students.
They are also moving quickly to address specific areas of concern in order to ensure international students who choose to study in Australia continue to receive a world class education.
We are strengthening education standards.
We are establishing a tertiary education quality and standards agency for higher education and a national regulator for the VET sector.
We are reforming the visa system for international students.
We have also tightened financial viability and student fee protection requirements for education institutions.
On 22 February, the Australian Parliament passed the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment Bill 2009, which will require all institutions to be re-registered by the end of the year and to demonstrate their capacity to provide quality education services.
Action is being taken against providers shown to be breaching their legislative obligations.
On 23 February, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that, if it is required, over $5 million would be made available to assist the Education Services for Overseas Students Assurance Fund, which is the financial cornerstone of Australia’s student protection framework.
Other significant initiatives have been announced to support the welfare of overseas students.
On 28 January the Victorian Government launched an International Student Care Service.
This is a new 24-hour service where international students can get greater access to accommodation, counseling, legal services, emergency and welfare assistance.
On 18 February, the Australian Government launched a new networking website for past, present and future Indian students in Australia, www.myoznetwork.com.
This new website provides an information portal, and assists students in building a network of friends and colleagues that will stay with them throughout their professional lives.
Student Safety
We are doing our utmost to ensure that Indian students in Australia remain safe and return home with a first class education and a great Australian experience.
Some recent contemptible attacks on Indian students and others of Indian origin in Australia have cast a shadow, not only over our education links, but across our broader relationship and bilateral agenda.
These attacks are inexcusable.
Australia is taking the attacks on Indians very seriously.
We also accept and understand that it has considerably damaged Australia’s reputation in India and among the Indian people.
On behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian people I again express publicly, as I have privately to my counterpart External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, my deep sympathy and condolences to those Indians who have had family members in Australia attacked.
Governments at all levels in Australia are working together to respond to the crimes and to protect students and others in the community.
Police forces in Australia are investigating all incidents so that we can bring those responsible to justice.
Over 70 arrests have been made in the last 12 months for crimes where the victim was of Indian ethnicity.
Strengthened police operations have been undertaken to improve physical security in Australian cities. Police are also conducting more visible patrols in higher risk areas.
Almost half the Indian students enrolled in courses in Australia have chosen to study in the state of Victoria.
In Victoria, legislation has been amended to allow judges and magistrates to impose tougher sentences for hate crimes.
Australia and India are countries for which the rule of law is fundamental. The rule of law means that we allow the processes of investigation, prosecution and sentencing to take their course. That is what we are doing.
While Australia is one of the world's most multicultural countries and one of the safest, we cannot credibly promise to stop all urban crime.
What we are promising is to do is our very best to address this problem and minimise it.
Understanding the actual circumstances surrounding each of the attacks is important.
Many Indian students in Australia, particularly in Melbourne in Victoria, find themselves in a higher risk profile for crime, often because they find employment that requires late hours or because they live in higher crime neighbourhoods.
This doesn’t excuse the attacks, but it may help to explain why some attacks are happening, and why the perception has arisen that Indians may be targeted.
Australia has zero tolerance for racism.
If any of these attacks have been racist in nature - and it seems clear some of them have - they will be punished with the full force of the law.
The Australian Government and the Australian community condemn all such attacks, irrespective of nationality or ethnicity.
The Australian Government and the Australian community unequivocally condemn any attack which is racially motivated. Such attacks affront our values and are anathema to our view of the modern Australia.
Impact on Australia’s reputation
There can be no denying that the student safety issue has had a negative impact on Australia's broader image, reputation and standing in India.
I have just outlined for you the steps we are taking in Australia to address these issues, and the speed and vigour with which we’ve been doing so.
We remain in close contact with our Indian counterparts at a government-to-government level on these issues.
Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has discussed this issue with Prime Minister Singh.
I have met External Affairs Minister Mr Krishna three times in the last seven months. We have also discussed this issue on the phone in this period. I will be talking again to Mr Krishna tonight.
We recognise that we need goodwill and consistent leadership on both sides in order to deal with the challenges this matter has identified, and to move ahead with our ambitious plans for our bilateral relationship.
There is a gap between the way Australia is sometimes portrayed in the Indian media, and reality.
Just as Australians need to recognise how quickly Indian society is evolving, we have to work harder to convey to Indians a better appreciation of contemporary Australia.
Australian is home to a modern, vibrant and harmonious multicultural society.
Today there are 22 million Australians. We speak almost 400 languages, including Indigenous languages, identify with more than 270 ancestries and observe a wide variety of cultural and religious traditions.
Australians are accepting, welcoming and open-minded. These qualities have helped attract students, visitors and migrants from all over the world.
Indian students are welcome at Australian universities, colleges and institutes.
Indian citizens are welcome guests in Australia.
The Indian Government estimates that the Indian diaspora in Australia numbers almost 450,000.
I welcome the fact that India is Australia’s second largest source of professional migrants.
Indians were among our earliest settlers.
As External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said to the Indian Parliament on 25 February, Indian Australians, through their culture and values, are "contributing in making Australia the vibrant multi-cultural society that it is today".
Conclusion
As I look out this morning, I see the faces of future doctors and lawyers, teachers and nurses, business people and scientists, diplomats, film directors, writers and perhaps one or two cabinet ministers and Olympic sports stars.
I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities to study overseas.
I know from personal experience it is a great way to advance academically, to broaden your worldview, to make lasting friendships and professional contacts.
You would get an excellent education in Australia and you would be most welcome there.
I wish all of you the best of luck in your studies and your careers.
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