Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I may have to take on notice the exact numbers that you are seeking, but I do know that the minister has cancelled some visas of people since the decision in Pearson effectively resulted in them having a visa re-issued. That's obviously not exactly what happened, but that's the practical effect. But, again, to your claims which I know you keep making—that this government is traumatising people—can we keep this in perspective? We're only talking here about people who have been convicted of some of the most serious offences under Australian criminal law: sexual assault, kidnapping, serious assaults. As I said earlier, I'm surprised that the Greens think that there's something wrong with a minister from any government deciding that those are not appropriate people to stay in Australia. I'm surprised that the Greens think that Australians support the idea that people who come to our country and commit serious sexual assaults, kidnap people or commit serious assaults should remain in our country. But that seems to be the Greens position. I reject this accusation that we are traumatising people, that we're the big bad government picking on poor, defenceless people. These are people who have been convicted of extremely serious offences, and I don't think they should stay in our country. We're not talking about minor offences. We're not talking about shoplifting. We're not talking about traffic offences. We're talking about people who have committed serious sexual assaults or kidnapped people, have been convicted of it and in some cases have been sentenced for very long periods which, owing to peculiarities of the law were aggregate sentences. I don't make any apology for those people losing the right to stay in Australia.