Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you drive down Beaconsfield Parade in Albert Park, you will see that it is one of the most picturesque parts of Melbourne. It is truly beautiful, driving down Beaconsfield Parade. Along the way, you'll see an incredible convent, which is home to the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project. I was pleased to visit my old friend Sister Brigid Arthur, who was also recently awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia, which is an outstanding recognition of someone who has literally given her life to help and serve others. Anyone who has come across Sister Brigid knows that she is a person of integrity, great effort and great capacity. She was one of the founders of the asylum seeker project there in Albert Park, along with Sister Catherine Kelly before she passed away.

I was joined by Libby Saunders, one of the key people in the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project. I met with many local people who want to see an end to the cruel practices of vulnerable people being used as political footballs in this country. We have to be better than that, and we've already started the important work of reforming many different parts of our humanitarian program. We're going to get people off TPVs and SHEVs and put them into permanent protection because they've deemed to be bona fide asylum seekers. It comes in a long list of reforms that we're going to do to bring humanity back to this important policy area.