Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of the Morrison amendments. Prime Minister, I talk to you from a background of disadvantage, a background of knowing what it is like when you are in a position in which your strength is not the fact that you have got the information. Your leadership at times has been strong. You have been resilient in dealing with many of the factors in the work that you have done. But what I ask today is that you consider the compromise. The compromise that we have here for fellow human beings is absolutely critical. You as our leader of this nation have the opportunity and the capacity to make an incredible difference.

I know, Prime Minister, that points of political scoring do occur, but on this issue I think the lives of people are far more important than a position where we compromise the rights of people who deserve those rights. I understand the way in which we deal with issues within our political structures. But there are times, too, when I hear members in this House talk of a compromise, particularly the 40 who would came together this morning, looking for what they thought might be a compromise, without the political impositions that would impede their intent to have a solution agreed to in this chamber today.

Member for Chifley, your comments were quite touching in terms of appealing to the humanistic element of all of us in this chamber. Certainly, Prime Minister, in terms of your leadership, I would ask that you do the same. It is not a case of taking away the rights of any individual. In the words spoken earlier by the member for Curtin, in reflecting on the previous Attorney-General's comments, it is a case of us having the focus and the capacity to defend the rights of any individual who comes within the sphere of influence of Australia, our leadership and our parliaments.

I appeal to you, Prime Minister, that you give serious consideration to a compromise. I believe from the qualities that you have displayed in your resolution in making some of the tough decisions that you have made that you now have the capability of applying the same here. I know that you have a position, and I respect that. But I ask that you give serious consideration to the amendments before the House so that the rights of those people who travel here, who take the risk to come to this country, are considered, and that if through an offshore process we make a decision to send them to another country that we collectively commit to the protection of the rights of these people who seek a life in this nation. Nobody in their right mind would not want to come here, because we have so much to offer. But we also want a process that protects our borders. At the same time, we also want to show the compassion that is needed to ensure that we guarantee the safety of anybody who traverses the oceans to come to this land. Prime Minister, I know that decisions are tough at times. I know that there are political agendas. But this time I appeal, as the first Indigenous member of this chamber, to your kindness and consideration and for you to look at the truth of the way in which we strike a common accord to afford people those privileges that I think are absolutely critical and vital. They are privileges I would not want to have relinquished if I were in their situation. I would hope that we would look at the amendments to protect those who are most vulnerable, to protect those who seek a better life, but at the same time ensure that our standards and our obligations to protect our borders are equally in place. Prime Minister, I appeal to you to give serious consideration to the Morrison amendments so that we reach a solution that is for the good of this country and for the good of those who come across the borders.

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