Do you have 5-10 minutes spare this morning? It looks like Scott Morrison may move on the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 as early as lunch time today! That means that the next few hours are crucial for asylum seekers today and in the future. Further to this, the committee has just tabled its report into the Bill, link below: aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Asylum_Legacy_Caseload_Bill_2014/~/media/Committees/legcon_ctte/migration_maritime/report.pdf TO VOTE IT DOWN REQUIRES THE SUPPORT OF 3 CROSS BENCHERS. So far Senator Madigan in Victoria has indicated that he will not vote for it. That means we need Senator Muir and one other, either Senator Xenophon or Senator Lambie to vote the bill down in its entirety. Senator Lambie has said that she will not vote on Government legislation until a deal is struck on defence force pay, if she sticks to her guns then we just need Senator Muir’s vote. If you can find some time this morning, please ring or email the three Senators – Muir, Xenophon and Lambie. The Canberra phone numbers are the best ones to use if you’re ringing, given it’s a sitting week. I have attached a copy of an advocacy brief put out recently by the Uniting Church which gives further information on why the Uniting Church is concerned about this bill. Senator Ricky Muir Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 6277 3040 Senator Nick Xenophon Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 6277 3552 Senator Jacqui Lambie Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 6277 3063 POINTS TO NOTE: The re-introduction of temporary protection visas TPVs were used in Australia from 1999 to 2008 and proved to be harmful, ineffective, wasteful and cruel. They damaged people mentally, forcing them to live in anxious limbo and denying them the chance to reunite with their family. People shouldn’t have to re-prove their refugee status every three years just because they arrived by boat. Ignoring the Refugee Convention The Bill narrows the meaning of refugee, ignoring previous court decisions and stacking the odds against refugees. For example, people could be asked to ‘modify their behaviour.’ That could mean telling someone who taught girls in Pakistan to go home and find a new job to avoid Taliban persecution. Establishing a new ‘fast-track’ processing system The Bill undermines our robust, fair refugee determination system and denies people arriving by boat a fair hearing. Instead, they’ll face a ‘fast-track’ decision-making process, which will reduce life and death decisions to a cursory assessment by the Department. Then it will be up to the Minister alone to decide if a negative decision gets reviewed. This will increase the likelihood of sending people back to danger. Ministerial power to cap visas A cap on the number of visas will give the Minister the power to chop and change how many refugees are granted protection each year, leaving people in anxious limbo, as they wait for their number to come up in the ‘visa lotto’. Denying protection to babies born in Australia Babies born on Australian soil to parents who arrived by boat will be considered ‘unauthorised maritime arrivals’, sent to Nauru and never allowed to settle in Australia. We have seen time and again what happens when politicians give themselves too much power – they become corrupt and forget that they are here to serve the community, not their own interests. Please consider taking action this morning – your 5 minute email/phone call may make a huge difference!
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:25:36 +0000
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