Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I do not accept either of those submissions. This is similar to a motion which has passed the European parliament. If 28 or so parties in the European parliament can apply themselves to matters in Sri Lanka, on the other side of the planet, I fail to see how the coalition and the government, three parties in this Senate, cannot equally apply themselves having been given more time. That is a nonsense. The problem is that we are now dealing with asylum seekers fleeing from pretty terrible post-war conditions in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government needs to adhere to the international norms, including human rights and the right of people to be resettled. Amongst other things, this motion calls for a prohibition, through the accession to the Ottawa treaty, on antipersonnel mines. This motion is very clearly weighted towards a reasonable call to the Sri Lankan government to treat the Tamil people with greater respect and humanity. It ought to be supported. I make no apology to the government or the opposition for bringing forward this important motion to the Senate if they cannot make up their minds on this matter.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Bob Brown’s) be agreed to.