Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

that the United Kingdom is prepared to grant Mr David Hicks citizenship and is awaiting permission from United States of America (US) authorities to extend the oath of loyalty to him,

(ii)

that the US military lawyer assigned to defend Australian Guantanamo detainee Mr Hicks, Major Michael Mori, is willing to swear in Mr Hicks as a British citizen in order to expedite his release from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,

(iii)

that through attaining British citizenship, Mr Hicks would be accorded British consular access and protection, and

(iv)

Major Mori has openly stated his concern that Mr Hicks will not be released from Guantanamo Bay soon and that ‘the US is trying to delay Hicks becoming a Brit because they know Britain’s position on the (military) commissions’; and

(b)

urges the Government to:

(i)

follow the lead of the United Kingdom Government and demand a fair trial for Mr Hicks, or

(ii)

at the very least, support the British Foreign Office moves to intervene on Mr Hicks’ behalf.

Question put.