Senate debates

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Motions

Asylum Seekers

3:40 pm

Photo of Sarah Hanson-YoungSarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) expresses its concern over the Federal Government's budget cuts to the Red Cross Migrant Support Program that will result in 500 job losses across South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria;

(b) notes the negative impacts that these job losses will have on the welfare and health services available to refugee and asylum seeker families living in the community; and

(c) calls on the Government to reverse these cuts.

Photo of Michaelia CashMichaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Cory BernardiCory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Michaelia CashMichaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

Either Senator Hanson-Young is being disingenuous here or she is, again, yet misinformed. There has been a competitive tender process for the provision of existing services in a new integrated and streamlined service delivery framework. There is no diminution of services. The government has put in place a new team of service providers, including the Australian Red Cross, to ensure that we are getting better value for money. Some IMAs have been allocated to new service providers, which has meant a change to the number of IMAs being supported by the Red Cross. To imply that there will be a negative impact on the welfare and health services available to refugee and asylum seeker families that are living in the community is a slur on the reputation of these service providers.

I do note that this motion was amended overnight to remove reference to granting work rights to BVE holders, as I assume Senator Hanson-Young obviously realised that, had she supported the introduction of temporary protection visas, those IMAs found to be owed protection would already have work rights. The government will not be supporting this motion.

3:41 pm

Photo of Cory BernardiCory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Hanson-Young be agreed to.

The Senate divided. [15:45]

(The Acting Deputy President—Senator Bernardi)