Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Bill 2012 - Second Reading - Read a second time
Passed by a large majority
2 rebellions 67% attendance
The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill a second time.
This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bill and that it will now proceed to the Senate Committee, where aspects of the Bill are discussed in greater detail.
The main idea of the bill is to ensure that asylum seekers who unlawfully arrive anywhere in Australia are subject to the same regional processing arrangements as asylum seekers who arrive at an excised offshore place such as Christmas Island.
Background of the Bill
This bill was introduced in response to a report by the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers, particularly Recommendation 14 which states that: "the Migration Act 1958 be amended so that arrival anywhere on Australia by irregular maritime means will not provide individuals with a different lawful status than those who arrive in an excise offshore place".(Read the full report here. )
By implementing this recommendation, the bill extends the excision regime that was introduced in 2001 following the Tampa affair. That regime provides that asylum seekers who arrive in Australia at excised offshore places are unable to apply for protection visas (in effect, refugee status under Australian law) unless the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship decides it is in the public interest that they do so. The effect of this bill will be to extend the excision provisions to the whole country.(More information on the Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Bill 2012 is available on the bills digest (680 KB). Also see an ABC news report explaining the effect of this bill here.)
This means that all asylum seekers arriving by boat in either mainland Australia or an offshore Australian territory that has been excised are unable to apply for protection visas and will be sent to regional processing countries (currently Papua New Guinea and Nauru) for the processing of their refugee claims. The rationale behind this legislation is the need to discourage asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat because of the dangers involved.
References
Nobody rebelled against their party.
Party | Votes | |
---|---|---|
Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 9 No | |
Richard Di Natale Victoria | No | |
Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
Scott Ludlam WA | No | |
Christine Milne Tasmania | No | |
Lee Rhiannon NSW | No | |
Rachel Siewert WA | No | |
Larissa Waters Queensland | No | |
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
Penny Wright SA | No | |
Australian Labor Party (60% turnout) | 18 Yes – 0 No | |
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Yes | |
Mark Bishop WA | Yes | |
Carol Brown Tasmania | Yes | |
Doug Cameron NSW | Yes | |
Kim Carr Victoria | Yes | |
Jacinta Collins Victoria | Yes | |
Trish Crossin NT | Yes | |
David Feeney Victoria | Yes | |
Mark Furner Queensland | Yes | |
Alex Gallacher SA | Yes | |
Joe Ludwig Queensland | Yes | |
Gavin Marshall Victoria | Yes | |
Claire Moore Queensland | Yes | |
Louise Pratt WA | Yes | |
Lisa Singh Tasmania | Yes | |
Ursula Stephens NSW | Yes | |
Matt Thistlethwaite NSW | Yes | |
Anne Urquhart Tasmania | Yes | |
Bob Carr NSW | Absent | |
Stephen Conroy Victoria | Absent | |
Don Farrell SA | Absent | |
John Faulkner NSW | Absent | |
Sue Lines WA | Absent | |
Kate Lundy ACT | Absent | |
Anne McEwen SA | Absent | |
Jan McLucas Queensland | Absent | |
Helen Polley Tasmania | Absent | |
Glenn Sterle WA | Absent | |
Lin Thorp Tasmania | Absent | |
Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Absent | |
John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party | Absent | |
Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President | Yes | |
Nick Xenophon SA Independent | Absent | |
Liberal Party (30% turnout) | 8 Yes – 0 No | |
Christopher Back WA | Yes | |
Cory Bernardi SA | Yes | |
Simon Birmingham SA | Yes | |
David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
Michaelia Cash WA | Yes | |
Sean Edwards SA | Yes | |
Anne Ruston SA | Yes | |
Dean Smith WA | Yes | |
Eric Abetz Tasmania | Absent | |
Sue Boyce Queensland | Absent | |
George Brandis Queensland | Absent | |
Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Absent | |
Mathias Cormann WA | Absent | |
Alan Eggleston WA | Absent | |
David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Absent | |
Mitch Fifield Victoria | Absent | |
Bill Heffernan NSW | Absent | |
Gary Humphries ACT | Absent | |
David Johnston WA | Absent | |
Helen Kroger Victoria | Absent | |
Ian Macdonald Queensland | Absent | |
Brett Mason Queensland | Absent | |
Marise Payne NSW | Absent | |
Michael Ronaldson Victoria | Absent | |
Scott Ryan Victoria | Absent | |
Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Absent | |
National Party (40% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
John Williams NSW | Yes | |
Ron Boswell Queensland | Absent | |
Barnaby Joyce Queensland | Absent | |
Fiona Nash NSW | Absent | |
John Hogg Queensland President | Absent | |
Totals (50% turnout) | 29 Yes – 9 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.