CPD worked with two partner organisations to convene a roundtable of 35 senior policymakers, politicians and commentators on asylum seeker policy.
Participants included a former Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, a strategist from Malaysia, and parliamentarians from three of the four major parties.
The roundtable provided an opportunity for this diverse group of policymakers and experts to consider the options in open dialogue, and to explore the feasibility and practicability of a new approach to asylum seeker policy.
The roundtable was conducted under the Chatham House Rule and was informed by a discussion paper coordinated by CPD: Beyond Operation Sovereign Borders: a long-term asylum policy for Australia. Two former senior Immigration Department officials, Peter Hughes and CPD Fellow Arja Keska-Nummi were the lead authors.
Asylum policies implemented by the Labor government, and more recently the Coalition government in the form of “Operation Sovereign Borders”, have had the effect of stopping the flow of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by sea.
This provides the opportunity for reflection on what lessons Australia has learnt overthe past 15 years, and for development of depoliticized, best practice policy responsesfor the future.
Paris Aristotle AM, Adam Bandt MP, Paul Barratt AO, Admiral Chris Barrie AC, Father Frank Brennan SJ AO, Julian Burnside AO QC, The Hon Fred Chaney AO, Dr Joyce Chia, Noel Clement, Dr David Corlett, Senator Sam Dastyari, Professor Bob Douglas AO, Erika Feller, Ellen Hansen, Dr Claire Higgins, Peter Hughes PSM, Associate Professor Mary Anne Kenny, Arja Keski-Nummi, Dr Anne Kilcullen, David Lang, Ben Lewis, Libby Lloyd AM, The Hon Ian Macphee AO, Professor Robert Manne, Professor Jane McAdam, Dr Travers McLeod, John Menadue AO, Right Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard, Reverend Elenie Poulos, Paul Power, Ambassador Wiryono Sastro Handoyo, Jo Szwarc, Angus Taylor MP, Oliver White and Steven Wong.
