David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Watt. Your government has passed some of the most extreme far-right-wing anti-immigration legislation, including forcibly deporting people to third countries like Nauru, and now trying to deny them even natural justice. The Department of Home Affairs has said that these laws will impact around 100,000 people in our community. Why does your government call these people, many of whom are refugees, 'criminals', when you know they are not? Will you acknowledge that this rhetoric, this dog-whistling and dehumanising, fuels the far-right rallies we saw over the weekend?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think, even for Senator Shoebridge, it is a stretch to be implying that the government of Australia, the Albanese Labor government, is responsible for the rallies we saw over the weekend. This government could not have been clearer in our condemnation of those rallies before, during and after the events. Unlike certain others in this chamber, who wanted to be against the rallies until they were held, and then started retreating at a rate of knots to say, 'Maybe it was okay after all,' we have been absolutely unequivocal in our condemnation and opposition to those rallies. While it might suit the Greens party's political interest to try to accuse the Labor government of being responsible for those rallies, I think people will see through that for what it is: just another political cheap shot from a party consigned to irrelevance in this parliament.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge?

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question was about the dehumanising right-wing anti-immigration legislation. The minister is yet to address it, probably because of his embarrassment—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, first of all, when you stand, you inform me that it's a point of order, which I presume it was, but you let me know it is. The minister is being relevant to your question. Minister, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The legislation that Senator Shoebridge was referring to, before he tried to blame the Labor Party for rallies of extremists over the weekend, makes targeted amendments to the Migration Act to expressly exclude procedural fairness from applying to the exercise of powers that deal with the taking of action in relation to third-country-reception arrangements. As to why the government is introducing this legislation, the point at principle that we're adopting is if someone does not have a right to a visa in Australia then that person should leave. That is the situation in relation to the NZYQ cohort, as it's become known. That is the basis of that legislation. That principle—that if you don't have a right to a visa in Australia you should leave Australia—is the basic principle of any functioning migration system. But it would appear that the Greens party does not support that principle, that someone without a right to a visa should leave Australia.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, first supplementary?

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, last year when you worked with Peter Dutton to pass the first tranche of these hateful laws, you were told by the Human Rights Law Centre, National Legal Aid, Democracy in Colour, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Amnesty International and many more that those laws would fuel racism and antimigrant hatred. Why didn't you listen?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's ironic, again, that we have Senator Shoebridge, someone from the Greens political party, wanting to talk about working with the coalition, because those of us who were here in the last term of parliament remember that it was the Greens political party working with the coalition to block housing, to block environmental law reform—

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, President: it's not within a bull's roar of relevancy, and you know it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, I'm going to ask you to withdraw that.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're asking me to withdraw 'bull's roar'?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, it has always been my practice to ask people not to repeat the offence. Yes, I'm asking you to withdraw that without repeating it.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw it. I was just checking what it is was you were asking me to withdraw. And I maintain my point of order.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, first of all you're not in a debate with me. If I ask you to withdraw then withdraw those comments, which you've done. Unless you have another point of order, I'm moving back to the minister.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I maintain the point of order, that it's not relevant.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge, resume your seat.

Senator Shoebridge, I think earlier today I asked you—when I call you to order, you come to order; you do not continue to talk over me.

Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You haven't ruled.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Allman-Payne, come to order.

No, Senator Shoebridge, resume your seat. I'm going to ask the minister to continue his answer. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Senator Shoebridge has his glass jaw out wide this week, that's for sure—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, I'm going to ask you to withdraw that.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. Senator Shoebridge, the very beginning of your question went to your accusation that the government was working with the coalition, so I'm completely entitled to point out the many occasions on which the Greens party have worked with the coalition to block housing, to block environmental law reform and to block almost every other progressive reform that this Labor Party ever tries to do. Now, I've already outlined the principle that underpins this legislation, that if you don't have a right to a visa in Australia then you should leave, and that's what this legislation is about establishing.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Shoebridge?

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, will your government publicly release the secret $400 million MOU on deportation you've signed with Nauru? I ask that especially noting that the Nauruan president had said, in relation to the deal he's cut with the Albanese Labor government, that Nauru's 'long-term goal remains the eventual repatriation of these individuals to their home countries' and that 'they have fled persecution and they need protection.'

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government will publish details about that agreement in the usual way at the appropriate time. It's obviously a matter for the Nauruan government to make a decision, as a sovereign nation, on what agreements they enter into. They have chosen to enter into this agreement with Australia, and therefore the agreement will be honoured.