Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I bring the attention of the House to the case of Reyna Nangan, Karin Yechoku and their beautiful daughter, Kaia. Reyna came to Australia in 2011 and Karin in 2014. Kaia was born here in 2017. Through no fault of their own—details of this are on the public record—the visa system has failed them. They found themselves facing deportation just last Friday. This family did the right things. They followed the right processes. But the system failed them.

Last week, they launched a last-minute appeal for ministerial intervention for an extension to their visa, and I'm very proud to say that the people of Toowoomba got right behind them. This is a family whose members, since coming to Australia, have committed themselves to their community, fulfilling that great tradition of people coming here with a desire to make our country better. They worked hard. They followed the rules. They paid their taxes, volunteered at a soup kitchen, started a business, invested in our community and employed locals.

Last Monday I became aware of the extreme urgency of the case and immediately contacted the Minister for Home Affairs directly. I want to thank him and his team, particularly Ann Clark, for their prompt response. Because of that prompt response—a three-day turnaround whilst the minister was overseas—I'm very happy to report that Reyna, Karin and Kaia are still in Toowoomba. Kaia's Kitchen, their restaurant, is still open, and their nasi goreng is still excellent. I want to especially thank all of the people in Toowoomba, and indeed across Queensland and Australia, who got behind the family during this time. The next step is permanent residency, and I'm very hopeful of giving a similar speech to this in due course.

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