STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr NG (Menzies) (13:44): I rise today to talk about an extraordinary Australian, Professor Charles Qin OAM. Professor Qin is a leader in my community and one of Australia's most respected English-Chinese interpreters. Professor Qin has been the interpreter of choice for prime ministers from both sides of politics, from Bob Hawke to John Howard to Tony Abbott to our prime minister, and he has worked in the United Nations, the Olympic Games and APEC.

He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to international relations, particularly through translating and interpreting. I've had the pleasure of meeting Professor Qin on many occasions. Just last weekend, I saw him at two Mid-Autumn Festival events I attended, and I've always found him to be humble, professional and generous with his expertise.

That's why I was deeply concerned to see recent reporting by the Australian newspaper cast doubt on his loyalty to Australia because of his professional and community associations. A measure of how slapdash this damaging article was is the fact that it was disowned the next day by the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, whose researchers raised initial claims.

National security matters, and legitimate concerns should always be properly scrutinised. But association is not allegiance, and Chinese Australians should not be held to a different standard because of our heritage. They should not have to continually prove their loyalty to Australia simply because they maintain cultural, community and professional connections.

The Albanese Labor government will always stand with Chinese Australians and with our multicultural communities.