RESETTLE CHILDREN FROM NAURU TO NEW ZEALAND

Labor has written to the Government offering to negotiate on legislation that would enable asylum seekers to be resettled in New Zealand – including children.

Last week before the Wentworth by-election, Scott Morrison indicated he would only accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle sick and vulnerable children and their families from Nauru if the Government’s “lifetime ban” legislation was passed. Now he needs to stick to his word.

This is all about the children. Labor is putting children first by proposing new laws so children on Nauru can get the medical attention they need, and offering to work with the Government to secure a resettlement arrangement with New Zealand.

That’s why we’ve written to Immigration Minister David Coleman to put the health of vulnerable children ahead of anything else.

 

Labor is willing to consider supporting the Government’s “lifetime ban” legislation – formally known as the Migration Legislation (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016 – if the following conditions and amendments are agreed to:

 

Scott Morrison cannot argue against these amendments as they close the “back door” from New Zealand to Australia – something he himself has called for.

 

 

With these amendments, no refugee from Nauru or Manus Island resettled in New Zealand would be able to resettle in Australia – ensuring people smugglers are not able to exploit vulnerable people.

 

 

Labor has long called on the Liberals to accept New Zealand’s generous offer to resettle refugees and negotiate conditions similar to the US refugee resettlement agreement to prevent people smugglers exploiting vulnerable people.

 

The Government’s “lifetime ban” legislation in its current form is a ridiculous overreach and is irrelevant to securing third country resettlement arrangements.

 

This legislation has been sitting in the Senate for nearly two years without debate, the United States refugee resettlement deal is already underway and operating successfully without these laws and over 400 refugees have resettled in the US without this legislation in place.

 

In 2011, when Scott Morrison was the Shadow Immigration Minister he actively blocked the Malaysia Solution – a decision even former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has admitted was a mistake.

 

But Labor is not going to be like Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott and play politics with the lives of vulnerable and sick children – we want to see this situation resolved.

 

Nauru and Manus Island were set up as temporary regional processing centres but have become places of indefinite detention because of the failure of successive Liberal Governments to negotiate other third country resettlement options.

 

Scott Morrison has failed to end genuine refugees languishing in indefinite detention and Labor has come forward so that sick and vulnerable children on Nauru can be resettled in New Zealand as quickly as possible.

 

Scott Morrison has talked a big game – but now it’s time he comes to the table and accepts the New Zealand offer.