Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Recently it was reported that people fleeing Gaza to come to Australia are having their visas cancelled mid-flight. I can't fathom how anyone in this government can defend their decision to cancel visas of Palestinian people escaping genocide in Gaza. I frankly don't understand how they can sleep at night or look a fellow human in the eye. I'm sorry, but this is a new low for our government. These people had their visas approved. The government had told them to apply. Many paid thousands of dollars and waited in horrific conditions just to cross the border into Egypt, knowing that they may never, ever return, only to have their Australian visas cancelled with no explanation. They're stuck in Egypt or in other third countries. It's not clear how long they can stay there or whether they can go back to Gaza. What terror they must be experiencing. They have escaped a genocide only to be caught in a nightmare limbo.

Meanwhile, 12,000 children have been murdered by Israel. People seeking aid from food trucks have been massacred. Labor is complicit in this genocide. They should be banning arms shipments from Australia to Israel. They should be supporting South Africa's case at the ICJ. They should be publicly condemning Israel, but instead they're cancelling the visas of people seeking safety—disgraceful.

See this speech in context