Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi shared on ABC's Kitchen Cabinet how she moved from Pakistan to Australia in 1992 with her family due to rising corruption in their home country. Despite initial hopes of finding a less corrupt society, Faruqi encountered significant political scandals upon entering Australian politics herself. Between 2011 and 2013, eleven New South Wales MPs faced corruption charges, including former Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald. Upon arriving in Australia, the couple also struggled to find work as civil engineers despite being told of a high demand for their skills.
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Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has revealed she left Pakistan in search of a fairer society for her young family, only to discover that Australia was not quite the corruption-free utopia she had hoped for.
Speaking to Annabel Crabb on ABC's Kitchen Cabinet, Faruqi recounted her move to Australia in 1992 with her husband Omar and their baby son, driven by rising corruption in Pakistan.
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Faruqi → see → Pakistan
'In the late 80s, early 90s, there was a lot of corruption that was setting in in Pakistan and we were like, "I don't think we want our kid to have to deal with this, to fight a system",' she said.
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she → be → system
So we thought maybe we should start thinking about moving somewhere else where this is not the system.'
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this → think → ?
But Faruqi soon discovered that settling in Australia presented its own realities.
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settling → discover → realities
She was elected to the NSW Parliament as an Upper House member in 2013, at a time when politics in the state was reeling from a string of corruption scandals.
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politics → elect → scandals
Between 2011 and 2013, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigated numerous MPs and political figures, including former Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, over allegations of using their positions for personal gain.
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'Lo and behold, when I came to Australia, in my first year in New South Wales Parliament, there were 11 MPs who had to leave Parliament or go back on the backbench because of corruption charges, but that's a whole other story,' Faruqi told Crabb.
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Mehreen Faruqi (pictured) cited corruption in Pakistan as the reason she moved to Australia
Faruqi said she and her husband arrived with little besides 'a kid' and 'two suitcases', hopeful about the future.
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she → picture → future
'We started with very rose-coloured glasses, I guess, very eager to make this new country our home.
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country → start → glasses
And we have.
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we → have → ?
It is our home,' she said.
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she → say → ?
Faruqi explained that, despite being encouraged to migrate because of a shortage of civil engineers, both she and Omar struggled to get work in their field after arriving.
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she → explain → field
'When we applied for permanent residency in Pakistan, we were told by the High Commission that we were going to get permanent residency very quickly because there was a dire need for civil engineers in Australia and there were plenty of jobs available,' she said.
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she → apply → jobs
'When we got here, the situation was really different.
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situation → get → ?
'It was that recession we had to have.
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we → have → ?
But I think mostly it was that no one would give us a look in to a job.
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one → think → job
They just said, "You have no local experience".
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Unable to find engineering work straight away, her husband drove taxis for a year while Faruqi completed postgraduate studies.
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Faruqi → find → studies
Rather than settling in an established Pakistani community, the couple decided to strike out on their own.
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couple → settle → own
Faruqi (pictured, with Greens leader Larissa Waters) and her husband moved from Sydney to Port Macquarie to work as engineers
'The Australia that we came to, and still is, I think the richest multicultural country that I have seen or read about,' Faruqi said.
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Faruqi → picture → that
So Omar and I both thought we really want to take this opportunity and live in a place where all these different people live.'
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people → think → place
The family eventually moved from Sydney to Port Macquarie after spotting two engineering jobs advertised at the local council.
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family → move → council
'We just thought, "Okay, this is made for us.
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this → think → us
We've just got to give it a shot",' Faruqi said.
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Faruqi → get → shot
'I think we were the first two brown people in the 150-year history of the council that they had ever hired, so kudos to them,' she said.
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she → think → them
Their years on the NSW Mid North Coast also laid the groundwork for her political career.
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years → lay → career
A trained environmental engineer, Faruqi became involved in groups like Landcare, Bushcare and refugee support charities, which led her to join the Greens.
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which → train → Greens
'Okay, maybe it's time to put my heart and soul into a political movement,' Faruqi said.
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Faruqi → put → movement
Pauline Hanson (centre) lost her legal appeal against Faruqi over social media comments
Since then, Faruqi has emerged as a major figure in Greens politics, being elected as Deputy Leader of the Federal Party in 2022, remaining in the role today.
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Faruqi → lose → role
The Greens senator's political journey has also seen her become a frequent target of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
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her → see → Hanson
In 2022, Hanson sparked outrage after telling Faruqi to 'pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan' following comments the senator made about Queen Elizabeth II.
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senator → spark → II
Faruqi successfully sued Hanson for racial discrimination, with the Federal Court ruling the remarks breached the Racial Discrimination Act.
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remarks → sue → Act
An appeal by Hanson was later thrown out, cementing Faruqi's legal victory.
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appeal → throw → victory
The Aporia
