Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—The Australian government cannot support the proposed notice of motion in its current form. The Australian government again places on record its objection to dealing with complex international matters such as the one before us by means of formal motions. Such motions are blunt instruments. They force parties into black-and-white choices that support or oppose. They do not lend themselves to the nuances which are so necessary in this area of policy. Furthermore, they are too easily misinterpreted by some audiences as statements of policy by the national government.

The Australian government is happy to continue to work with the minor parties on notices of motion of this nature. We will not support notices of motion in the Senate unless we are completely satisfied with their content. The Australian government is aware of the recent deportation of a number of people from Indonesia. The media reports a number of reasons for these deportations, including that those involved did not have the necessary Indonesian visas or permits for protest. As no Australians were deported, the Australian and Indonesian governments have not been in contact about these events. In the absence of clear information about these events the Australian government cannot be satisfied that the reason for the deportation stated in the motion is wholly accurate. The Australian government upholds the right of people to protest peacefully and lawfully.