Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I am speaking in opposition to the Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016. This is politics and humanity at its worst. There is no reason for this legislation. It does not solve a problem. It does not offer any third settlement solution for people who are lingering on Manus Island or in Nauru. It is not based on international law at all. It is simply a desperate plea from a bumbling, desperate government trying to save itself by racing to the bottom and adopting the lowest road possible to try to wedge the Labor Party on an issue that has been a very difficult issue for this nation over many years.

I want to make it clear that Labor will never ever put people smugglers back in business. Labor is committed to a policy which combines offshore processing and regional resettlement because we do not want to see people drown at sea. The government has had three years to find a durable, workable solution and a credible third-country settlement option for refugees living in the Australian-funded offshore detention centres of Manus Island and Nauru, but they have failed to announce any concrete arrangements and they are desperate to distract from that fact.

They did attempt to negotiate an arrangement. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection negotiated an arrangement with the nation of Cambodia for three refugees from Manus Island to be transferred to Cambodia at a cost of $55 million. It works out at about $18 million per refugee. I will tell you what: for that sort of money we would have been much better off bringing them to Australia, providing them all with a home and providing them and their kids with a university education. It would have been much cheaper. It cost $18 million per refugee, and I understand that two of them took off and one of them is still there, but the government pocketed the money. It is a classic example of the desperation of the government and of the bumbling, foolish nature of this immigration minister.

It is ridiculous to suggest that a former refugee, who, in the future, may become a citizen of another nation, be it the United States or Canada or New Zealand—even though they have said that they will not accept any of these people—should be banned for the rest of their life from entering Australia under a tourist visa in 10, 20, 30 or 40 years time. Refugees have made amazing contributions to Australia. In fact, if you look at our nation's history, the place was built on migration. The success of Australia, our economic and social success, has been based on migration. There have been many great refugees who have made an outstanding contribution to our nation. People like Frank Lowy, Gustav Nossal, Hieu Van Le and Anh Do have made Australia their home and become leaders in their field. But this bill would seek to lock those people out of Australia for the rest of their lives.

I know that the government is fond of saying that ministerial discretion could apply, but I have one two-word answer to that: Peter Dutton. That is all you have to say. Anyone who thinks that Peter Dutton, the minister for immigration—

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