Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For too long, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government has failed to ensure that vulnerable people in regional processing centres receive timely and adequate medical care. Labor has always been committed to ensuring that sick people get the medical care they need without compromising our strong border protection arrangements. This week, parliament rose to the occasion and addressed these matters in a grown-up and rational way. We addressed this government's failure, especially the ad hoc medical transfer process for sick people in Australia's care. The legislation we passed means that the government must now listen to the advice of doctors. It means that sick refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island should be evacuated to Australia for temporary medical care when recommended. And it means that the minister retains discretion, to keep Australia and Australians safe.

Labor made important amendments to strengthen the successful bill. We enhanced the security requirements, meaning that the minister will be able to deny a transfer on national security grounds and in cases of serious criminality. Secondly, we extended the time frames to refuse a transfer, to make the process more workable and flexible. Thirdly, and most importantly, we ensured that this legislation only applies to the fixed number of people who are already in regional processing. This removes any incentive, no matter how small, for people to risk their lives at sea.

I thank the crossbench. I thank the member for Wentworth for her dedication, and her colleagues for their hard work during these long negotiations.

The Liberals have been shameless—utterly shameless—in claiming the medical transfer legislation would start the boats again. Labor is committed to ensuring that people smugglers can never prey on vulnerable people ever again. We believe in turn backs when safe to do so, offshore processing and regional resettlement. By claiming otherwise, the Prime Minister has turned into a walking, talking billboard for people smugglers. He is doing the marketing for them. He should be ashamed of himself. Let's not forget that, if the member for Dickson was capable of doing his job and negotiating other third-country resettlement options, vulnerable people would not be languishing in indefinite detention and requiring medical transfers.

Labor, if elected, will continue the US refugee resettlement arrangement. We will accept New Zealand's generous offer to resettle refugees, with appropriate conditions. And we will negotiate other third-country resettlement options.

Regrettably, the Prime Minister has led the way when it comes to ridiculous scaremongering. He is a Prime Minister who has always tried to play politics with this issue. He has used every opportunity to spread fear. The Prime Minister is the prime advertiser for people smugglers. In 2011, shamefully, he blocked the Malaysia solution, which would have stopped the boats. After he did so, 600 people died at sea. Before the Wentworth by-election, the Prime Minister said he would accept New Zealand's offer to resettle refugees from Manus and Nauru, and when Labor came to the party he reneged on his offer, after losing the Wentworth by-election. Then, yesterday, he made a ridiculous decision to reopen the Christmas Island detention centre. This was a hysterical and unhinged response from a desperate and dishonest Prime Minister. He knows that the legislation that passed parliament will not restart the boats. This is because it only applies to the current cohort on Manus and Nauru. The Prime Minister is focused on one task: encouraging people smugglers to restart the boats.

Labor's message is clear: if you try to make it to Australia by boat, you'll be turned around; you'll never settle in Australia. There is no difference between Labor and Liberal when it comes to Australia's border protection regime. Under Labor, there'll be no change to Operation Sovereign Borders. We will turn back boats. Offshore processing will continue, as will regional resettlement. Operation Sovereign Borders will be fully resourced, funded and staff. We will maintain Australia's strong border protection measures and strengthen them even further. Labor is committed to new measures to stop people smugglers in their tracks. We announced, for example, the tripling of the number of Australian Federal Police officers overseas dedicated to deterring and disrupting people-smuggling ventures. We believe in strong border protection, and the government is lying shamefully.