Nation Building: How Immigration Made Australia ~ Canberra event

You are warmly invited to join Philip Ruddock, together with Senator Maria Kovacic, the Hon Ed Husic MP, Dai Le MP and Allegra Spender MP to join them for a special bipartisan forum marking the launch of the Hon Philip Ruddock AO’s first book, Nation Building: How Immigration Made Australia.

About this special event

Immigration is one of the most consequential areas of public policy in Australia. It shapes our economy, our population, our labour market, our communities and, ultimately, the kind of country we become.

At a time when immigration is again at the centre of national debate, this forum will bring together political and policy perspectives for a serious, evidence-based discussion about how the system has evolved, what has worked, what has not, and what lessons should inform the decades ahead.

Drawing on his experience as Australia’s longest-serving Minister for Immigration, Philip Ruddock will reflect on the transformation of Australia’s immigration program during his time in office, including the shift towards skilled migration, the economic and demographic rationale behind those reforms, and the development of modern multicultural Australia.

Mr Ruddock will be joined by Dr Abul Rizvi, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and one of Australia’s most experienced immigration policy experts. During Mr Ruddock’s seven years as Minister, Dr Rizvi worked closely on the composition and size of the annual Migration Program and participated in the extensive community consultation process conducted around Australia each year.

Together, they will bring decades of experience in government, public administration, economics, demography and immigration policy to a conversation that is too important to be reduced to slogans or political point-scoring.

Our co-hosts will join the discussion to consider how Australia’s immigration program has changed, its contribution to economic and population growth, the importance of maintaining public confidence, and how future policy can be informed by expertise, accurate information and a clear understanding of the national interest.

This is intended to be a genuinely bipartisan discussion about one of the most important and enduring responsibilities of government.

About the book

Nation Building: How Immigration Made Australia is Philip Ruddock’s first-hand account of his life in politics and his time as Australia’s longest-serving Minister for Immigration.

The book traces the evolution of Australian immigration from the White Australia policy and postwar migration to the development of a modern, skills-focused migration program and a successful multicultural society.

At its heart is a clear argument: immigration did not simply change Australia - it helped build Australia.

The book examines how well-managed immigration made Australia younger, more skilled, more prosperous and more connected to the world. It also explains why multiculturalism has been essential to Australia’s success, giving people from different backgrounds a shared sense of belonging, responsibility and national purpose.

At a time when immigration and multiculturalism are again at the centre of public debate, Nation Building offers both a personal political history and a timely contribution to the national conversation.

Cohosted by

Senator Maria Kovacic
The Hon Ed Husic MP
Dai Le MP
Allegra Spender MP

Special guest Panellists

The Hon Philip Ruddock MP, former Immigration Minister
Dr Abul Rizvi, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration

Registration details

Free to attend, but registration is essential as places are limited.

Copies of Nation Building: How Immigration Made Australia will be available to purchase at the Australian Parliament House shop.

Soft Cover $39.95  Hard Cover $49.95