By Neeraj Nanda
MELBOURNE, 4 Sept 2020: Australia’s concern about ‘foreign interference’ in multicultural communities from ‘foreign actors’ s does not refer particularly to one country, says Alan Tudge, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs. He was answering a question by South Asia Times (SAT) at a virtual media conference today if ‘foreign interference’ referred in his speech at the National Press Club last month only to China or meant any country.
Mr. Tudge said, ” Foreign interference in various forms has reached a serious level dividing our community and we are concerned about how multicultural communities are influenced by that.”
The Minister had in his speech at the National Press Club in Canberra outlined the challenges faced to social cohesion (including COVID, foreign interference, and poor English), and what was needed to do to maintain unity in the face of these challenges.
Earlier, Mr. Tudge announced the setting up of a new taskforce to lure international businesses and encourage exceptional talent to Australia under a new initiative to support the post-COVID recovery and boost local jobs.
“The new, whole-of-government Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce will bring together experts from across the Commonwealth, States, and Territories as well as the private sector, as part of the Government’s JobMaker plan.
Senior business leader, Peter Verwer AO, has been appointed as the head of the Taskforce and will be known as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Global Business and Talent Attraction, the Minister disclosed.
