Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Labor will not be supporting this motion. While we appreciate the intent of the motion, we don't believe that the blanket granting of exemptions is an appropriate way to handle the cases of those temporary migrants wishing to return to Australia. There are a range of issues facing temporary migrants at the moment, starting with those currently living in Australia. There are also 18,000 Australian citizens stranded overseas who are trying to get home, with 15 per cent of those classified as vulnerable according to the Department of Home Affairs. They, along with the many Australians and migrants in Australia facing difficult times ahead, need to be the Senate's priority.