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senate vote 2017-11-29#12

Edited by mackay staff

on 2017-12-03 18:17:40

Title

  • Motions Asylum Seekers
  • Motions - Asylum Seekers - New Zealand's resettlement offer

Description

  • <p class="speaker">Nick McKim</p>
  • <p>I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 612 standing in my name for today relating to New Zealand's offer to settle 150 refugees.</p>
  • <p>Leave granted.</p>
  • The majority voted in favour of a [motion](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2017-11-29.177.2) calling on the Government to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle 150 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru detention centres.
  • Motions like these represent the will of the Senate but do not have legal force. This means that they can be influential but don't actually force the Government to do anything.
  • ### Motion text
  • > *(1) That the Senate:*
  • > *(a) notes that:*
  • >> *(i) the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, has continued to pressure Australia to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle 150 refugees who are currently in offshore detention,*
  • >> *(ii) New Zealand will begin work to expedite processing refugees if, and when, the offer is accepted, and*
  • >> *(iii) Prime Minister Ardern stated "We made the offer because we saw a great need. No matter what label you put on it there is absolute need and there is harm being done"; and*
  • > *(b) calls on the Government to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle 150 refugees and negotiate conditions similar to the United States refugee resettlement agreement.*
  • > *(2) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.*
  • <p>I move the motion as amended:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(1) That the Senate:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(a) notes that:</p>
  • <p class="italic">(i) the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, has continued to pressure Australia to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle 150 refugees who are currently in offshore detention,</p>
  • <p class="italic">(ii) New Zealand will begin work to expedite processing refugees if, and when, the offer is accepted, and</p>
  • <p class="italic">(iii) Prime Minister Ardern stated "We made the offer because we saw a great need. No matter what label you put on it there is absolute need and there is harm being done"; and</p>
  • <p class="italic">(b) calls on the Government to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle 150 refugees and negotiate conditions similar to the United States refugee resettlement agreement.</p>
  • <p class="italic">(2) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p>
  • <p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p>
  • <p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p>
  • <p>The coalition government is committed to the strong and consistent border protection measures that have stopped the boats and prevented deaths at sea. The government's position has not changed. Any resettlement of refugees in New Zealand would have serious implications for Operation Sovereign Borders. The government will not be dictated to by the Greens on border security. We have seen the tragic consequences of Labor-Greens border policy in the past. Labor-Greens mistakes saw 1,200 men, women and children drown at sea and 8,000 children placed into detention. We will never allow this to happen again.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p>
  • <p>The question is that motion No. 612, as amended, be agreed to.</p>
  • <p class="italic"> <i>Senator Dodson did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Parry.</i></p>
  • <p class="italic"> <i>Senator Farrell did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Nash.</i></p>
  • <p class="italic"> <i>Senator Sterle did not vote to compensate for the resignation caused by the vacancy of Senator Xenophon.</i></p>