Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Senator for NSW, has has responded to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s disgraceful comments attacking her this morning. Senator Faruqi is the first Muslim woman to serve in any Australian Parliament and Australia’s only Muslim Senator.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Peter Dutton is the Minister for Home Affairs and is meant to be keeping us safe. For some time we have been saying he isn’t fit for the job but this morning’s tone deaf comments further prove it.

Australian Greens Senator, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to the Christchurch terrorist attack. Senator Faruqi is Australia's first Muslim woman senator.

Senator Faruqi said:

"What happened in Christchurch is deeply devastating and terribly distressing.

"I am heartbroken and quite frankly scared. First and foremost we are grieving and our thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims who have been brutally killed by a white supremacist terrorist from Australia.

“Just when you begin to hope that the Labor Party was starting to find a backbone on refugees, Bill Shorten has gone to water,” said Australian Greens Leader, Dr Richard Di Natale.  
 
“Despite his Deputy saying the Government’s policy to transfer sick patients to Christmas island for treatment was ‘difficult to understand’ and his Immigration spokesperson saying the reopening the centre was ‘silly’, Bill Shorten thinks it’s ‘fine’.
 

The Prime Minister’s proposed change to medical assessment for people in offshore detention is nothing more than a shuffling of administrative deck chairs, Greens Immigration spokesperson Senator Nick McKim says.

"This proposal will leave the Minister with the final say on whether people receive the medical treatment they need," Senator McKim said.

Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the Liberal Government to issue emergency travel documents to a young Saudi woman trapped in Bangkok, so she can travel safely and urgently to Australia where she has a visa.

“Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fears for her life and is facing deportation to Saudi Arabia, but we can help. We understand she has a visa and needs emergency travel documents to be brought safely here,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

Labor’s commitment to the cruelty of offshore detention and boat turnbacks is disappointing, but not surprising, Greens immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“Labor cannot call themselves progressive while they continue to support these inhumane measures” Senator McKim said.

“Indefinite detention on Manus Island and Nauru, which began under Labor, has destroyed so many lives.”

“The tide has turned on offshore detention – the Australian people want it to end.”

I rise on behalf of the Greens to speak to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018. I would like to associate myself with the comments made by my colleagues Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator Nick McKim and Senator Rachel Siewert on this particular bill. We know that this bill will allow offshore processing—it is within the scope of this bill—and we know the horrendous outcomes of offshore processing on men, on women and on children.

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Promoting Sustainable Welfare) Bill 2018 is an outrageous attack on migrants. It is punitive and it's xenophobic. There is no other way to describe it. This bill is an inhumane piece of legislation. It completely ignores the specific circumstances and the vulnerabilities of those it will most impact—those who most need support and help. And there is a human cost to measures like this. It may be a piece of paper for most of us in this place, but for me it's much more than that.

The Liberals’ decision to refuse to sign the United Nations Global Compact for Migration is an admission that their refugee policies are in breach of international law, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.
“There is nothing remotely controversial in the document, and the Liberals are once again undermining global collaboration on refugees,” Senator McKim said.
“Ensuring that migrants are not arbitrarily detained, and that decisions to detain are based on law should not pose any kind of challenge to a government which supports the rule of law.”

Reports that the Australian Government plans to bring the children it is detaining on Nauru to Australia by Christmas removes any excuse to keep people in offshore detention, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“The warped logic of offshore detention is crumbling around the major parties. There is now no excuse not to end offshore detention and conclude this dark chapter in our country’s history,” Senator McKim said.