Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 805.

Leave granted.

I note that Senator Keneally's name will be added to the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senator Keneally, move the motion as amended:

That the Senate notes that:

(a) 25 August 2020 marked three years since over 700,000 Rohingya, including more than 400,000 children, fled from targeted violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State, to Bangladesh;

(b) the camps in Bangladesh now host over 850,000 refugees in crowded conditions; which is also impacting the lives of over 400,000 local Bangladeshis;

(c) an estimated 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine State;

(d) since 2017, the Australian Government has provided over $260 million in lifesaving humanitarian assistance for displaced and conflict-affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar, working through UN agencies; international and national NGOs such as BRAC, Save the Children, CARE, World Vision, Plan and Oxfam and their local partners to deliver food, shelter; water and sanitation, health and education services; and targeted support for women and girls to help combat risks including gender-based violence and trafficking;

(e) annual monsoons and cyclones have brought additional risks and the COVID-19 virus has now arrived with 270 confirmed cases to date in the Cox's Bazar camps and over 1800 active cases in Rakhine; and

(f) Australia remains committed to supporting Myanmar to create conditions on the ground conducive to voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns for all displaced people.

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

[by video link] I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The Greens will be supporting this motion, but I note that if the Greens had moved a motion on Myanmar we would not have been given leave for it as it would have been ruled to be an issue of complex foreign policy. It's rather hypocritical. However, the Rohingya people in both Myanmar and Bangladesh face extraordinary challenges in these difficult times. Their own government has attacked them and they face additional challenges in this pandemic, as are outlined in the motion. At the 2019 election the Greens called for an extra 50,000 humanitarian places a year. Instead, as shown in last night's budget, the Liberal government is planning to cut the humanitarian intake by $5,000. We need to do a lot more in our region, not less. We should be reaching 0.7 per cent of gross national product by 2030, but our aid is at its lowest level ever.

Question agreed to.