John Madigan (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 makes significant changes to the way asylum seekers in this country are processed. With amendments, the bill is even more complex than without. The bill will do many things, not least of which is the bringing back of TPVs. As I understand it, the government will not back down on their view in support of TPVs, and I have a problem in backing down on my view against them. As such, I think we are, at this point in time, possibly at a stalemate.

But I want people to be crystal clear that I genuinely want to find the solution to the problem of asylum seekers and what they are experiencing. Having visited Villawood and Broadmeadows on a number of occasions, I know that these people wish to have some surety in their lives. I also know that many of them will be found to be genuine refugees and that there will be some who will be found, ultimately, not to be genuine. I personally think the whole debate has become so polarised. I am not casting aspersions on anybody's motivations here but just asking people to remember that we are all going to go home at the end of this week. We are all going to be with our families

We all know where we are going, so to speak. The issue of asylum seekers, the issue of dealing with compassion and dignity, the issue of addressing the concerns of people in the wider Australian community have to be treaty logically and with respect. There are many moving parts to this machine but in the end it is about people and you cannot commodify people. They are not numbers; they are people. At this point, I cannot support the government's legislation as it stands, but I acknowledge the work of Senator Xenophon. There are a lot of people in this place who are looking for a genuine and a just outcome.