Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to applaud the fact that visas were given to the Klue family, formerly from South Africa, who live in Buderim. Jannie and Amanda and their children, Jan-Sari and Pieter-Nick, arrived here from South Africa in December 2007 and set about setting up a new life for themselves, free of the concerns of a land plagued by crime, where they had lived in a home behind razor wire and with CCTV cameras. They bought a business here and worked hard to make that business a success. Their children were enrolled in a local school. They became very active in the local community. They were working seven days a week in their business and they attained very great community support. They have proven themselves to be a stable and sensible family, a very much admired part of the Buderim community. They very much wanted to stay in Australia and they had aspirations for their children, but, unfortunately, due to a visa application mix-up, the family found themselves facing a forced return to South Africa. It was an issue that I and the community took up. My wife, Inge, became very much involved as well. A 457 visa has now been issued, which will give them the opportunity to make a new life permanently in Australia in due course.

I want to applaud this exercise of people power. I want to applaud the local community for getting behind the Klue family, who will, in due course, make very good Australians. They very much wanted a future for their children. They were victims because their visa application was mixed up by an immigration agent they were dealing with. But, given the fact that the matter was considered by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, a very sensible decision has been reached which gives this wonderful family the opportunity for a permanent life in Australia. This is a very sensible outcome and one which I applaud. (Time expired)

See this speech in context