Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting this motion as it is factually inaccurate. The government's policy is to keep families together, including mothers and newborn babies. In some circumstances, such as where babies require special care, access may be slightly more limited, as it would be for anyone in the Australian community since some Australian hospitals do not have the capacity to accommodate mothers overnight with children or babies in special care, regardless of the mothers' visa status. In such cases the department will work with the hospital to obtain as much access for the mothers as is reasonably possible. I indicate that the government will not seek to call a division on this motion, noting that the Greens and the opposition are both voting in favour of it.