Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion to disallow the Migration Amendment (Repeal of Certain Visa Classes) Regulation 2014. The other family category of visa has now been cut by the Abbott government. This category included carer visas for people who need a family member as a carer and who have demonstrated that they cannot access sufficient care in Australia, sole remaining relative visas for someone with no family anywhere in the world but in Australia and aged dependent relative visas, which are for elderly non-parents overseas who are dependent on sponsors in Australia. Parent visas have also been cut, so now the only parent option is for people who can pay $50,000 per parent or $100,000 for two parents, which are the contributory parent visas.

My office has worked with many Melbourne constituents who under these cuts would remain separated from family members. We have spoken with constituents who now will not be able to sponsor family members who are in very difficult circumstances overseas to come to Australia. We have advocated for other constituents who are facing long, long waits to be reunited with loved ones. This comes on the back of actions by the previous government, where the Labor government cut the number of other family visas in 2013-14 from 1,285 to 585. Because of these cuts, already long waiting times got even longer. Carer visas for people to care for Australians in high need went from two years to three years to around five years and sole remaining relative visas and aged dependent relative visas went up to over 15 years.

One thing that the minister did not say in his contribution is that the government says it is still processing applications, but it has cut the number it is processing per year from 585 to 500. It may be that the already long waiting queues take even longer. Ultimately, it is very clear that for people who are here it is much better for them, it is much better for those close to them and it is much better for the Australian community if they are able to have their carers and families here. That is why the Greens will continue to advocate for an expansion of the numbers that are being processed in these categories and for them to be processed much more quickly, so that the waiting times that we have seen under previous governments and under this one are shortened.

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