MINISTER GIVEN MORE CHANCE TO BE HUMANE BUT NO COMPULSION
Democrats Deputy Leader Senate Andrew Bartlett expressed disappointment at the limited changes announced to immigration detention by the Prime Minister this afternoon.
"I want to see the full details, but what has been announced may help a few people but does not solve core problems at the heart of our migration laws and the administration of detention policy.
"It appears that the Immigration Minister will be given a few more chances to be humane, but with no compulsion. There is still no guarantee that all children will be out of detention," Senator Bartlett said.
"There will be more reports on the condition of detainees and recommendations from the Ombudsman, but no requirement for the Minister to act on them. The Government has a long history of ignoring reports by the Ombudsman and our Human Rights Commission in this area. Producing more reports for the Minister to ignore is just going to make an inefficient, exorbitantly expensive system even worse.
"The Democrats maintain our call for a Royal Commission and we will move next week in the Senate to establish a comprehensive Senate Inquiry into the administration of the Migration Act by DIMIA, with particular focus on detention and deportation.
With the tide of public opinion turning and faced with a backbench revolt, the Prime Minister has just handed more power to the Immigration Minister, with no legal oversight over how they are used. Given the failure of the Minister and her Department to competently and fairly use the powers they have, giving them even more unfettered power is absurd.
"Setting time limits that cannot be enforced with no consequences if they are not met, is of little use.
"The campaign for justice in our migration and asylum systems will continue across Australia. This will not satisfy the many Australians who recognise how unjust our laws in this area are, and will be participating in community events this weekend in the lead up to World Refugee Day on Monday.
"The simple fact is we need a total overhaul of the system not just tinkering at the edges."
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