edited
29th Dec 2018
Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea
Passed by a modest majority
No rebellions 57% attendance
27th Nov 2018, 7:18 PM – Senate Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016 - in Committee - Financial guarantor
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of government amendments, which means they'll be included in the bill. Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds (WA) explains that:
"On 21 June 2016, the government made a commitment to introduce a new sponsored temporary visa for parents of Australian children. This new visa arrangement will allow parents to visit their Australian children without imposing an additional burden on Australia's healthcare system. In order to implement this new sponsored visa, there needs to be an assessable sponsorship framework for family sponsored visas. The Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016 will amend the Migration Act 1958 to introduce this framework. When the bill was first introduced, the framework was intended to apply to the partner program first and the rest of the family program later. The sponsorship arrangements for the new parent visa will now be introduced first. To ensure that the sponsorship framework covers the requirements for the new parent visa, as well as all family sponsored visas, the bill requires government amendments.
To ensure that the new parent visa does not place any additional burden on Australia's healthcare system, the Australian child will be a financial guarantor for their parents' health costs. This amendment will allow a legal bond arrangement for approved family sponsors so that the obligation of liability for outstanding public health costs can be enforceable by a relevant health service provider."
What does this bill do?
According to the bills digest:
The purpose of the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016 (the Bill) is to amend the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act) to introduce a sponsorship framework for the sponsored family visa program. The proposed changes will:
- separate sponsorship assessment from the visa application process
- require the approval of persons as family sponsors before any relevant visa applications are made
- impose statutory obligations on persons who are or were approved as family sponsors and provide for enforceable sanctions if such obligations are not satisfied
- allow the Minister to refuse a sponsorship application and cancel and/or bar a family sponsor where inappropriate use of the program or serious offences are detected, especially those involving violence and
- improve the sharing of personal information between parties to the application and the program more generally.
Votes Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives | Absent | |
| Australian Greens (89% turnout) | 0 Yes – 8 No | |
| Mehreen Faruqi NSW | No | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | No | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | No | |
| Rachel Siewert WA | No | |
| Jordon Steele-John WA | No | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | No | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
| Richard Di Natale Victoria | Absent | |
| Australian Labor Party (68% turnout) | 0 Yes – 17 No | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | No | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | No | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | No | |
| Kristina Keneally NSW | No | |
| Chris Ketter Queensland | No | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | No | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | No | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | No | |
| David Smith ACT | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Absent | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Absent | |
| Don Farrell SA | Absent | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | Absent | |
| Kimberley Kitching Victoria | Absent | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Absent | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Centre Alliance (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Stirling Griff SA | Yes | |
| Rex Patrick SA | Yes | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Yes | |
| Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party | Yes | |
| Sue Lines WA Deputy President | No | |
| Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent | Yes | |
| Tim Storer SA Independent | Yes | |
| Fraser Anning Queensland Independent | Absent | |
| Steve Martin Tasmania Independent | Absent | |
| David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party | Absent | |
| Liberal National Party (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Yes | |
| James McGrath Queensland | Yes | |
| Liberal Party (70% turnout) | 16 Yes – 0 No | |
| Slade Brockman WA | Yes | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Yes | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Yes | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Yes | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Yes | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | Yes | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Yes | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | Yes | |
| Jim Molan NSW | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Yes | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Yes | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | Yes | |
| Dean Smith WA | Yes | |
| Amanda Stoker Queensland | Yes | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | Absent | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Absent | |
| David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
| Lucy Gichuhi SA | Absent | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Absent | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Absent | |
| National Party (67% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Barry O'Sullivan Queensland | Yes | |
| John Williams NSW | Yes | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Peter Georgiou WA | Yes | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Yes | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria President | Yes | |
| Brian Burston NSW United Australia Party | Absent | |
| Totals (72% turnout) | 29 Yes – 26 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.