Past Programs
Immigration - 2008
Immigration
10/11/2008
Immigration minister Chris Evans is likely to reduce migration in Australia because of the economic downturn and a predicted rise in the unemployment rate. At the same time employers in agriculture and mining are still complaining about skills shortage.
While the government is setting up exam centres in India to streamline the recruitment of overseas-trained doctors, a physician in rural Victoria has been denied permanent residency because his son has Down syndrome.
How much migration does Australia need? How important are migrants to our economy? And does the selection process need to be reviewed?
New policies for asylum seekers
04/08/2008
Immigration Minister Chris Evans says one of the challenges for the Rudd government is to introduce a new set of values to immigration detention. So far, the minister has abolished temporary protection visas and is closing the offshore detention centres. Asylum seekers who meet initial safety checks will be allowed to live in the community while their applications are assessed. The Opposition says the changes pose a risk to border security and is threatening not to support them in parliament.
While the government's initiatives are a clear departure from previous Labor and Liberal party policies, do they reflect a shift in broader community attitudes? And what will the changes mean for asylum seekers? How will they be supported in the community and how will they be monitored?
Australia Talks Movies - The Edge of Heaven
01/05/2008
The Edge of Heaven was our latest Radio National preview, a film exploring the sometimes uneasy relationship between Germany and Turkey. Today, Julie Rigg, renowned journalist and translator Maureen Freely and cinema scholar Roger Hillman discuss this terrific film and we want to hear from you. Turkish/German cinema is THE new German cinema and films like 'The Edge of Heaven' are shaking up European culture and perceptions.
Multiculturalism in Australia?
18/02/2008
The Rudd government has announced plans to review the Citizenship Test for new migrants after it was revealed that almost one in five people failed the quiz on their first attempt.
Meanwhile, supporters of multiculturalism believfe that this key social cornerstone as under threat. Has multiculturalism succeeded or is it no longer relevant to Australian society?
