Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Federal Labor Candidate for Robertson, Irish Australian Deborah O’Neill

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has praised the contribution of generations of Irish immigrants to Australia.

Answering a series of questions about issues of concern to the Irish community, Ms Gillard reaffirmed her wish to see an Australian Republic in the future, expressed a desire to visit Ireland and looked forward to the forthcoming Irish In Australia exhibition at the Australian Museum in Canberra.

Irish Echo (IE): Have you ever been to Ireland? When, under what circumstances?

Julia Gillard (JG): Unfortunately I have not yet had the chance to visit Ireland but have always wanted to. As a person with proud Celtic heritage, it is certainly on the list!

Have you any Irish background?
I do not have any direct Irish ancestors, but my grandmother’s surname was Dalton – which is Irish.

Much is said about the strong cultural and historical connections between Ireland and Australia. What do you believe has been the legacy of the Irish to Australia?
The legacy is a rich infusion of culture, practices and ongoing relationships. From the nuns who came from Ireland to establish the congregations of Sisters of Mercy, over 150 years ago, our growing fan base for Gaelic football, the perennial contest of the Rugby World Cup and the great Irish racehorses that come to contest in the Melbourne Cup (and occasionally take it home!).

I’m certainly looking forward to the wonderful exhibition being mounted at the National Museum of Australia next year, highlighting the connections between our two countries.

Of course I would say that we’ve all benefited from the larrikin humour that is part of both Irish and Australian culture – from the days of convicts and bushrangers, through to the contribution of both the Irish and Australians in WW1. We all know that the Irish have a fierce reputation for ingenuity and creativity, their great sense of entrepreneurship and engineering genius – traits which are of course shared with the Welsh!

Our great Australian democracy has benefited from the contributions of many Irish and Australians of Irish descent – from Daniel Denehy to John Curtin and Paul Keating. The Irish-Australian Parliamentary Friendship Group is one of the strongest in the Australian Parliament, and of course Labor has our own Irish-born politician, Senator Ursula Stephens.

Q: Ireland’s economic problems have caused more young Irish to explore their emigration options. Many are looking to Australia but there is a growing concern that the current anti-immigration debate here will feed through into policy. Before they spend thousands of dollars on visa applications, how can you reassure would-be skilled migrants from Ireland that the visa goalposts will not be shifted as they ponder which country to emigrate to?
The Australian government, through its overseas missions, has made it clear to skilled migrants in Britain, Ireland and elsewhere that their skills are both wanted and needed here. But the domestic political messages of the current campaign are clear – more immigrants bad, less immigrants good.
So there’s no ambiguity, do you agree with the following propositions:
Australia owes an enormous debt of gratitude to its immigrants. Australia has benefited enormously from the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants, in many cases educated by the taxpayers of other countries. Australia is reliant on immigration to continue to grow and prosper.

Since 1945, seven million people have come to Australia as new settlers. Immigration has always been a part of Australia’s story and will continue to be part of our future. I am proud of my own immigrant heritage.

The Irish have been coming to Australia since the earliest days of our colonial history. Today, millions of Australians have Irish ancestry.

We recognise the massive economic and social contribution made by migrants and believe that Australia’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths.

Since 2007, the Federal Labor Government has made a number of reforms to our migration program to make sure it maintains its integrity and gets the right balance. That means ensuring that temporary routes do not become permanent by default and focusing on the real needs of our economy and employers.

I have indicated my vision of a sustainable population – one that supports our environment and quality of life and is in turn supported by proper resources and infrastructure.

Q: The preoccupation with asylum seekers and boat people has led some commentators to observe that the campaign is more akin to the battle to become governor of Arizona than prime minister of a modern, multicultural nation. The fact that more illegals come here by plane on legitimate visas does not seem to inhibit the vitriol directed at boat people. Aren’t those who are not preoccupied with border security right to conclude that the major parties are pandering to xenophobes and racists with their intolerant stance on asylum seekers?

I have said during this campaign that this debate should be had on the facts and that we should keep it in proper perspective. But concern among Australians about these arrivals is not something to be dismissed. I am committed to working towards an effective, long-term regional solution to deal with the challenge of irregular maritime arrivals. Our objective is to stop the boats, not at our shoreline, but before they even leave those far away ports. We are working with other countries both in our region and in places like Afghanistan to reduce the number of people starting that journey and return those who are found not to have a case to stay.

Mr Abbott and the Coalition have sought to capitalise upon the anxieties of some Australians to demonise asylum seekers for political gain.

The new British government has dropped plans to reform the monarchy which might have ended the legal ban on Catholics becoming king or queen as well as the rules of succession. We understand that Gordon Brown had discussed the proposed changes with Kevin Rudd late last year. Given that you still swear an oath of allegiance to the same monarch, don’t you think that the current rules are both sectarian and sexist? Is Australia bound by what Britain does regarding the rules of succession concerning our head of state and if so, doesn’t that mean that Australia is still not truly independent? Are republicans entitled to be disillusioned with the Rudd/Gillard government given that the issue of constitutional reform has been completely ignored since 2007?

I believe that at some point Australia will become a republic. A referendum on the republic is something that will happen at some point in the future, but our focus now is on delivering things that make a difference for Australian families.

Given Ireland’s troubled historical relationship with Britain, many Irish Australians find objectionable the presence of the Union Jack on the Australian flag. Can they look forward to a day when the Australian flag will be one that can be embraced by them and others who find it objectionable like the Aboriginal people?

I support retaining the Australian flag in its current form.