Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will be supporting this motion by Senators Wong and Keneally. My heart breaks at the thought of the thousands of Australians who, having been stranded overseas, thought they were going to at least get home for Christmas and now will be realising that that is not going to happen, that they are not going to be able to come home. They are overseas in countries where COVID is absolutely exploding. They are Australian citizens who want to be able to come home to be with their families at this time of coming together. The fact is it's in the government's hands to be able to do something about it, to put more resources in to establish more quarantine opportunities. It is in the government's hands and yet they are denying the opportunity for Australians to come home to be with their families at Christmas time—shame, absolute shame!