Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I start the discussion on this motion, noting the contribution from the member for Bruce and those who have made contributions, and say, frankly, how disappointing it has been that they seek to politicise something as important as making sure we reunite people who fall in love. Frankly, to suggest in this discussion that the government opposes love is just farcical and highlights that they are not actually serious about the serious issues at the heart of this motion and what our focus is, which is making sure we have an orderly migration system, that we protect and secure our borders and that we build an Australia for everybody to be able to realise their ambition and their dreams.

We know that at this time we are not in a normal period. Earlier this year, because of decisions and advice from health authorities, we closed international borders and introduced a travel exemption system, in extraordinary circumstances. Truthfully, I never thought I would see this situation. I remember when it was first discussed, and I was flabbergasted at the prospect. Ever since then we have had challenges as Australians have wanted to go overseas and, of course, Australians who have wanted to return home. I have to say that I had some real issues with the current arrangements, and I have made those comments public, because I believe that every Australian should have a right to return to their country and that limitations or barriers should not be unreasonable. But the practical reality is that, at this time, there are many Australians stranded in other parts of the world who want to get home and they can't.

The primary reason that this is occurring is that, because of the outbreak in Melbourne—which has our second-largest passenger airport—the state government has chosen to stop receiving international flights. Of course, Melbourne is not the only airport where we receive people back into. But when you have the second largest, with the second-largest traffic, it has a real and material impact on the number of Australians that can get home, with the obligation and burden of quarantining as well. We need to fix that. I have many constituents whose friends and families can't get home. While there are a lot of other issues in migration, including those that have been raised today, I'm sorry—I am very hardline on this—but Australians have a right to enter into their own country, and Melbourne and the Victorian state government are letting us down.

Worse, some airlines have used it as an opportunity to exploit people. I have spoken to the Deputy Prime Minister and the minister responsible about precisely this issue, where people are having their tickets cancelled and they're being asked to rebook on business class airfares and, in many cases, they are being asked to forego up to $50,000 for a family to return home. It is exploitive. It is gouging. It is despicable in this period. I don't doubt the challenges facing the airline industry, but if people buy a ticket, they should expect it to be honoured. I know that there are some Goldstein residents where there family is in one country and they have to go to a third country to get to a connecting flight, and they've gone to that third country to get the connecting flight back to Australia and found that their flight has been cancelled. It's shameful conduct.

Similarly, families in the United Kingdom and the United States—in just about every country—want the opportunity to come back to our nation. They must take precedence. Australians have a right to come back to their homes. Reasonable quarantine measures should be provided and supported. So, the sooner you can open Melbourne airport, Dan Andrews, Victorian Premier, the sooner we will be able to fully respect Australians and allow them to come to their homes. It is your mismanagement of the situation we presently have that means that Australians are locked out of their homes, and it is wrong.

Of course, on partner visas, we fully recognise that there are other people who wish to come to our country to be reunited with the people they love. That's why we have an uncapped program. It is to make sure that there are proper processes in place so that it isn't exploited or used for fraud. That's right and that's just.

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