Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

This instrument designates the Republic of Nauru as a place where asylum seekers who arrived in Australia after July 2013 must be taken while their claims are assessed. The relevant legislation has been allowed to lapse by this government. Now we're told that we should wave this through, that we should give a compliant nod to the continuation of a sad and shameful arrangement. Nothing to see here, just 65 individuals who have waited nine years for an answer, nine years of mistreatment, isolation and medical neglect.

Since 2013, 14 people have died in our offshore detention. Hundreds of children and adults have sustained permanent psychological injury from their treatment by our government. This morning in this house we heard Behrouz Boochani describe the inhumane treatment he endured at the hands of our government. It is absolutely perverse that we discuss this instrument today in that context. It is absolutely perverse that we speak of the processing of humans, that we call these 'regional solutions'—solutions?—when we have no humane answers for these people. This government asks us to trust that it will end offshore detention on Nauru and PNG, that it will find homes for these refugees. Yet it has just renewed a contract with a US private prison company, MTC, which has been described as trafficking in human captivity for profit and which has been accused of pandemic profiteering and unlawful use of solitary confinement. Less than two weeks ago, this government gave MTC a $350 million contract to extend offshore detention on Nauru until September 2025.

Minister, you have given us less than 24 hours notice on an issue that you have known about for months. How can we possibly trust this government to deal effectively and sensitively with an issue it has known about for years? How can any of us in this place in any conscience support a vote to continue offshore detention on Nauru?

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