Malcolm Turnbull accused of running ‘anti-Chinese jihad’ akin to McCarthyism by Kevin Rudd

MALCOLM Turnbull has been accused of running an ‘anti-Chinese jihad’ by Kevin Rudd, claiming the Prime Minister’s rhetoric is akin to McCarthyism.

MALCOLM Turnbull has been accused of running an “anti-Chinese jihad” by Kevin Rudd, who has also backed a controversial Labor move to enshrine an indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian constitution.

The former prime minister has blasted Mr Turnbull’s rhetoric in the wake of Labor senator Sam Dastyari’s resignation over the scandal surrounding his ties to a Chinese businessman.

Speaking in Canberra to mark the 10th anniversary of his landmark Apology to indigenous Australians, Mr Rudd also backed Opposition leader Bill Shorten’s announcement that Labor would establish an indigenous Voice to Parliament if it won the next federal election.

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Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says a long-term strategy for engaging China is required. Picture: AAP

Mr Rudd accused the Prime Minister of launching an “anti-Chinese jihad” with his commentary after Mr Dastyari’s resignation today, comparing it to the anti-Communist rhetoric led by US senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1940s and ‘50s.

“A considered, mature, balanced, long-term strategy for engaging China is the way to go — not one which begins to wave the flag of neoMcCarthyism in this country against the Chinese community that live here,” Mr Rudd told the National Press Club today.

“Speak to good patriotic Chinese Australians about how they feel being fingered by Mr Turnbull generically as a result of some of comments made, and we create an unnecessary feeling of anxiety.

Mr Rudd backed the Labor move for an indigenous voice to Parliament, saying concerns about it being seen as a third chamber of parliament were “codswallop”.

Meanwhile a fight is brewing between the Coalition and Labor over whether the government will establish a Voice to Parliament recommended by indigenous leaders.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten today pledged the next Labor government would establish the constitutionally enshrined body as a “first step” in answering the recommendations last year of indigenous leaders on the Referendum Council.

The Coalition has rejected the Voice to Parliament over concerns it would be seen as a third chamber of Parliament.

Mr Shorten today asked the government to reconsider its position.

“We will work with you, but we will not wait for you,” he told Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Parliament today.

The Opposition leader declared Labor would begin consultation with indigenous Australians while in opposition on how the Voice to Parliament would work.

Prime Minister Turnbull did not indicate any change on the government’s position today.

Instead, the Prime Minister declared the government remained committed to constitutional recognition and would establish a new joint select committee to review a way forward.

STOLEN GENERATIONS COMPENSATION

Meanwhile, Mr Shorten also pledged to launch a compensation scheme for Stolen Generations survivors that would provide them with one-off ex gratia payments of $75,000.

About 150 surviving members of the Stolen Generations in the Northern Territory and any Stolen Generations survivors in the ACT and Jervis Bay would be able to access the proposed compensation scheme, which Labor estimates will cost the federal budget $8.7 million over the forward estimates.

Indigenous health minister Ken Wyatt today said the government would examine the merits of Labor’s proposal.

“I will wait and see what the Leader of the Opposition announces, because it has to be both practical and it is not just about a one-off monetary gain,” he told ABC this morning.

“It is about the continuing levels of support and the understanding that history has impacted and how we move forward.”

Minister for indigenous Health Ken Wyatt, with Minister for indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the Close the Gap parliamentary breakfast last week. Picture: AAP

If Labor wins government at the next federal election, Mr Shorten has also announced he will hold a national summit on the skyrocketing rates of indigenous children in out-of-home care within the first 100 days.

Nationwide, more than 17,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were living in out-of-home care in 2017, compared with about 9000 a decade ago.

Labor will also establish a funeral assistance fund which would provide one-off payments of $7000 for members of the Stolen Generations’ funerals.

CLOSE THE GAP

Mr Turnbull announced today new state targets would be set as part of an overhaul of the Close the Gap strategy.

It comes as the latest Close the Gap report shows just three out of seven targets are on track a decade after it was launched to improve the lives of indigenous Australians.

Mr Turnbull told Parliament the new targets would provide more insight into the progress or lack of progress on infant mortality rates, education, employment and other targets across the country.

The new targets will be set as part of a “refresh” of the Close the Gap strategy that state and federal leaders will work on with indigenous leaders over the year.

The new strategy will be announced in October.

Today’s Close the Gap report, which marks a decade since the targets were set, showed the targets to halve the gap in child mortality by 2018 and have 95 per cent of all indigenous four-year-olds enrolled in early childhood education by 2025 were both now on track.

The only target found to be on track in 2017 — to halve the gap in Year 12 attainment by 2020 — also remains on track.

Ten years ago, a large crowd gathered at Melbourne's Federation Square to watch Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, on a public TV screen, make an apology to all Aborigines and the stolen generations. Picture: News Corp

But the remaining four targets, including a key one to close the 10-year gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians by 2031, were lagging.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said while some targets were not on track to be met, there had been “solid progress” in other areas compared with a decade ago.

“While we celebrate these important accomplishments, it remains clear we need to continue to work in partnership with indigenous communities to deliver improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the future,” he said.

Former PM Kevin Rudd said targets were going to be tough to meet. Picture Kym Smith

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd, whose Labor government introduced the Closing the Gap strategy after his historic apology to the stolen generations in February 2008, said the original targets were always going to be hard to meet but called on governments not to soften them.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today announced new ‘indigenous business hubs’ would be established nationwide to help indigenous businesses access support that was available to them currently.

Indigenous business have now won more than $1 billion in government contracts after the federal government set targets for procurement in 2015.

Originally published as Malcolm Turnbull accused of running ‘anti-Chinese jihad’ akin to McCarthyism by Kevin Rudd