Paralysis in Parliament. Why the Greens voted against

The overloaded boat before it capsized yesterday. Pic: Australian Maritime Safety Authority

THE Federal Parliament is stuck in an entrenched state of paralysis over asylum seeker policy after hours of emergency debate prompted by another tragedy at sea failed to bring the government and the opposition together on offshore processing.

Despite the House of Representatives passing a compromise bill last night to allow the processing of refugees in Malaysia and Nauru for up to 12 months, the bill will fail in the upper house.

With the government insisting on sending asylum seekers to Malaysia and Nauru, while the opposition insists only on Nauru, the Greens rejected both options, despite a late compromise offer from the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, that Australia would accept thousands more refugees a year if he won office.

Late last night the bill sponsored by the NSW independent Rob Oakeshott, which will allow the government to use offshore processing, passed the House of Representatives with the support of all crossbenchers except the Greens MP Adam Bandt. The numbers were 74-72.

But the Greens said they would block it in the Senate and so will the opposition, prompting the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to issue a plea to senators.

”I am calling on each and every senator to accept that this is now the only bill that can pass the Parliament before the Parliament goes into the winter recess,” she said. ”I believe each and every senator should consider this matter deeply overnight.”

…

Parliament rises today for the six-week winter break.

Unless the government and the opposition can see eye-to-eye, all offshore processing options are doomed.

The issue is set to continue next week when the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, visits Darwin and holds talks with Ms Gillard.

A boat carrying more than 100 people issued a distress call just after 6am Sydney time yesterday. The boat sank as a merchant ship arrived. Authorities reported 130 people had been rescued. One body was recovered and three people were believed to have gone down with the boat.

Less than a week ago, 90 people were estimated to have died after a boat capsized north of Christmas Island.

Full story with links, the SMH here

• A statement by Andrew Wilkie

Today it became apparent during discussions with the Government and Opposition that the Member for Lyne, Mr Rob Oakeshott MP, had the numbers to pass the Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012 without my support.

This is not a Bill I would have supported because I do not support off-shore processing, and in particular the so-called Malaysia Solution. I certainly would not have voted for it if my support was crucial for its success.

But considering the Bill was going to pass without my support I negotiated with the Government for the inclusion of a 12 month ‘sunset clause’ in return for my vote. In other words the legislation will expire 12 months from the commencement of the Act.

The sunset clause places a tight time limit on the Bill which limits its effect, forces this Government to ultimately come up with a solution to the irregular immigration issue and provides this Parliament with the opportunity to develop a bipartisan solution.

The Member for Moore, Dr Mal Washer MP, gave a commitment to the Government, and to me, that he would support the Bill. This would have ensured the passage of the Bill even if I had opposed it.

At the last minute he decided not to cross the floor because it wasn’t necessary, although he made it clear to me that he would have done so should the Government have needed his support.

• Mercury: Bring refugees to Tasmania

• PONTVILLE AVAILABLE FOR ASYLUM SEEKER PROCESSING

The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Tasmanian community to join a push to reopen the Pontville Detention Centre, to facilitate humane processing of asylum seekers and to support the local economy.

Greens Member for Denison Cassy O’Connor MP said that although the party strongly disagreed with the mandatory detention policy, the Pontville Detention Centre had already proven itself to be one of the most humane models available in the country.

“The Greens believe that asylum seekers should have their applications processed without delays and be housed in the community rather than in detention centres,” Ms O’Connor said.

“But while mandatory detention remains Federal Government policy, the Pontville Detention Centre offers one of the most humane models for accommodating asylum seekers available in the country.”

“It’s not stuck out in a desert or on a remote island, but right in the middle of a happy, thriving community with a big heart.”

“The infrastructure is ready to go, and the community has shown that they are ready to throw open their arms and embrace people fleeing war and hardship from around the world.”

“Leaving aside the economic benefits the centre could potentially bring, this is about ensuring that people who have already suffered terribly are treated with the kindness, compassion and respect they deserve and are entitled to under the United Nations Refugee Convention.”

“Tasmanians have a proud track record of generosity and compassion, and many are distressed by the recent boat tragedies, while the Pontville facility stands empty,” Ms O’Connor said.

• Friday: Phillip Coorey, Chief Political Writer, SMH: Impasse: politicians throw up their hands

• Friday: Jessica Irvine, Economics Writer, SMH: Hard figures back case to open gates

• Christine Milne: We CAN save lives from today

Dear friend,

We CAN save the lives of desperate people who come to us seeking protection – and we can do so today.

The Greens have put proposals on the table today that will save lives, and I have written to the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader asking them to genuinely examine them so we can take immediate action.

There are thousands of desperate people in limbo in camps in Indonesia and Malaysia. The current ‘wait’ for resettlement from Indonesia is 76 years. Clearly, people trapped in these camps have lost hope, and are turning to dangerous boat journeys in desperation.

If we announced today that we would take several thousand people from Indonesia and Malaysia and told people in the camps that we will give them a safer pathway to a better life, there would immediately be far less pressure to get onto boats and risk their lives.

We need the community to understand these proposals (explained here).

I am pleased that the Prime Minister has this evening effectively established a multi-party committee along the lines of our proposal earlier this week. This bodes very well.

Unfortunately, what we had before us today was something that would have made the situation worse. The plans put forward by Labor, by Tony Abbott and by Rob Oakeshott all hurt asylum seekers in their time of need and would all fail to save lives. This is a sleight of hand, a quick fix to be seen to be ‘doing something’ but actually sending people out of sight and out of mind.

Those are solutions for politicians not refugees. We need your help to put refugees’ wellbeing back at the centre of the debate where it belongs (explained here).

If people are so desperate that they will get on dangerous boats, how do we think we can put any ‘deterrent’ in their path?

When John Howard introduced the harshest policies including mandatory detention, Temporary Protection Visas and the so-called Pacific Solution, even after that, people kept getting on boats, and 350 people tragically drowned from the SIEV X.

Any ‘deterrent’ would need to be worse than war, worse than the persecution these desperate people are fleeing.

But if we told people in the camps that there was a safe pathway to resettlement in Australia, and if we helped the UN to assess their claims and find them safe homes more quickly, we would take the pressure off them to board an unseaworthy boat and risk their lives.

Our position today has been strongly welcomed by refugee advocates including Amnesty International, the Refugee Council of Australia, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, ChilOut, Catholic Religious Australia, the Josephite Nuns, GetUp!, Greg Barns and the Australian Lawyers Alliance and more.

We urge you to have these conversations with your friends and family, at home and online. There has been too much fear and misinformation in this debate, for years now (explained here).

We need you to help inject some facts, and some compassion, into this national debate.

Yours sincerely,
Christine Milne

• Andrew Wilkie:

Early this morning I attempted to re-start the parliamentary debate on asylum seekers by moving to have the Opposition’s Migration Legislation Amendment (Offshore Processing, Protection and Other Measures) Bill 2012 brought on for debate.

I did this because I believe very strongly that the Parliament’s job is to solve the impasse over asylum seekers and it is not acceptable for the Parliament to go into a six week recess without having first exhausted every possible avenue to find a compromise solution.

My attempt to bring on the Opposition’s Bill does not mean that I support it, but rather that the Parliament must have something before it for a debate to occur and the bringing on of the Opposition’s Bill would have provided such a mechanism.

An uncorrected copy of my speech delivered in the House of Representatives at approximately 3.45 am today follows.

“Deputy Speaker I am appalled that this House is set to go into recess tonight for six weeks, even though the people smugglers are busy filling their manifests with the names of so many desperate souls.

“Deputy Speaker I am appalled that the House is set to go into recess tonight for six weeks, even though numerous boats are being readied right now in Indonesia, and probably elsewhere, for the perilous journey to Australia.

“Deputy Speaker I am appalled that during the next six weeks there is the likelihood that some of those boats will sink, and some of the unfortunate souls aboard will drown.

“Deputy Speaker I am appalled that the defeat of the Member for Lyne’s Bill in the Senate yesterday is seen as enough done for now by the Parliament, even though time is of the essence and every minute saved could be the difference between life and death for some asylum seekers.

“Deputy Speaker I am appalled that the boat that might go down while we dither could be as large as SIEV-X, the vessel that disappeared in late 2001 with approximately 421 people on board, including 146 children and 142 women.

“Yes Deputy Speaker, I do acknowledge that the Prime Minister has today announced a review headed up by Angus Houston, a great Australian whose competency and impartiality is beyond question.

“But surely that is not enough, because surely we must do everything possible, including Angus Houston’s review but much more, to stop people attempting the voyage to Australia.

“And in particular we must look for any sort of stop-gap measure right now that would stop or at least deter the people smugglers right now.

“Deputy Speaker I do not agree with off-shore processing, whether it be on Nauru or in Malaysia. And I do not agree with the Member for Cook’s solution.

“But his Bill does provide a mechanism for this parliament to keep talking and the opportunity for this Parliament to come to at least some sort of agreement, however unpalatable, which might send a shockwave through the people smuggler network and at least stop some boats being organised.

“Even if we can do no more than deter a handful of asylum seekers from boarding a boat, or no more than stopping just a boat or two, surely that is something worth striving for.’’