Green senators have condemned both major parties after the government worked with the coalition to push through parliament tough new rules for asylum seekers released from indefinite detention.
In fiery scenes in the Senate, Senators Sarah Hanson-Young, Nick McKim, David Shoebridge and Mehreen Faruqi criticized the federal government for the rule change on Thursday evening.
The Supreme Court ruled last Wednesday that Australia’s indefinite detention system was unlawful, freeing 84 asylum seekers, with decisions pending for another 340.
Those released included a pedophile who raped a 10-year-old boy in western Sydney and a hit man who blew up a pregnant woman in Malaysia. These criminals served prison sentences for their crimes, but could not be deported for various reasons beyond the government’s control.
Labor strongly opposed their release from detention, with Home Secretary Clare O’Neil saying as a mother herself: ‘If there was anything in her power to keep these people in detention, she absolutely would do it.’
Labor rushed legislation through both houses of parliament last night, backing coalition amendments that hit released asylum seekers with even tougher rules.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the legislation was a “straight attack on refugees in this country”.
Greens leader Adam Bandt told the House that Labor is ‘letting Peter Dutton write anti-refugee legislation’
These included wristbands, strict night-time curfews, a ban on coming within 150 meters of childcare centers if the asylum seekers had committed crimes against children and mandatory minimum sentences of one year if the rules were broken.
Green senators have cracked down on the legislation, as has party leader Adam Bandt. They pointed out that Labor was explicitly against mandatory minimum sentences in its party platform at the last election, but had ‘caved in’ to opposition amendments which meant asylum seekers would face such sentences.
Mr Bandt said: ‘Labour is dancing to the tune of the Liberals. Labor lets Peter Dutton write anti-refugee legislation.’
Ms Hanson-Young said the legislation was a ‘straight attack on refugees in this country… It is so sickening to me that you (Labour) have no backbone’.
She said it was an example of Mr Dutton dictating the agenda for the government.
“It always suits you, doesn’t it, when you get to cuddle with the opposition while Peter Dutton is here holding the whip.
“Peter Dutton is the one pushing this government onto exactly the path he wants.
“This is all under the whip of Peter Dutton, the leader of the nasty party.” (She later retracted her comments about Mr Dutton and the nausea).
Deputy Senator Leader Mehreen Faruqi, from Victoria, took a dig at ‘white Australia’ and the treatment of asylum seekers.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi said: ‘White Australia has never been shy about having one rule and another for people it considers second-class’
“This creates a subclass of individuals who are judged not by their actions, but by their visa status.
“But white Australia has never been shy about having one rule for it and another for people it considers second-class.”
Mr McKim, a Tasmanian senator, said: ‘It is a dark and shameful day in the history of this parliament when the political duopoly comes together in this place… to trample on the rights of refugees, to demonize refugees, to divide to sow. our community and to incite fear and hatred of refugees in our community.
“It’s an extremely sad day.”
Education Minister Jason Clare told Sunrise on Friday that he had never seen Parliament respond so quickly to a High Court ruling.
Asked about the cost of ankle monitoring, Education Minister Jason Clare said the measures were aimed at keeping Australians safe.
“This isn’t about money, this is about safety,” he told Seven’s Sunrise on Friday.
“The fact is, if these people were locked up in jail, it would cost five times as much.
‘If it were up to us, these people would still be locked up. But that’s not an option.’
Mr Dutton said if he had been allowed to do so, the newly released would be back in custody and criticized the government for not acting more quickly, citing the pain of the victims.
‘They are in tears. These are rape victims, children as young as 10 who have been sexually abused,” he told Nine’s Today show on Friday.
“These are the worst people and they are not even Australian citizens so they should not be active in the community.”
The Supreme Court has yet to release the reasoning behind its decision to overturn a twenty-year precedent.