Labor senator Lisa Singh and MP Linda Burney express personal concerns about ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’ plan, but Shorten has reserved the party’s position

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Bill Shorten says it seems “ridiculous” a refugee would be banned from coming to Australia as a tourist or on a business trip, as several Labor MPs came out against the government’s proposal to prevent refugees in offshore detention ever visiting the country.

But the Labor leader has not committed to opposing the government’s plan.

Labor senator Lisa Singh and MP Linda Burney have expressed personal concerns.

Singh said: “I don’t know what Labor will decide to do … Obviously I hope we vote this down and see it for what it is.”

Under the proposed laws announced on Sunday, refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru would not be able to come to Australia even on a tourist visa, unless they were children when placed in detention.

New asylum laws pave the way for third-country resettlement, Peter Dutton says Read more

Singh, who has been seconded to the Australian delegation at the United Nations, believed the policy was “clearly contrary to the New York declaration” on refugees and migrants that the Australian government agreed to in September.

In a Facebook post, she said the proposal was “cruel” and “out of step with the rest of the world”. She said it was “stupid” because of the economic contribution of refugees to Australia and the harm it would cause Australia’s bid for a UN human rights council seat.

“And if their turning boats back is working, why on earth is this needed? Sounds like a government with no ideas, no policy solutions and no heart.”

Burney said she was “deeply concerned” by the proposal.

“I have had many people contact me today and yesterday who were very distressed at the prospect that this is what government is moving,” she said. “Their concern is that it’s inhumane, that it’s something they can’t reconcile as decent Australians.”

Shorten said the opposition would “look closely at the legislation when the government can be bothered releasing it”.

“It seems ridiculous to me that a genuine refugee who settles in the US or Canada and becomes a US or Canadian citizen is banned from visiting Australia as a tourist, businessman or businesswoman 40 years down track,” he said.

Shorten said “people who come via a people-smuggler should not be allowed to settle here” but labelled the proposal a distraction from “the Liberals’ total failure to secure any durable and credible third country resettlement”.

Shorten accused Malcolm Turnbull of “sucking up to One Nation to fight off Tony Abbott and keep his job”.

Addressing concerns the law would breach international law because it amounted to penalising people for seeking asylum, the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said on Monday the proposal was “absolutely consistent with our international obligations”.

According to the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, the attorney general’s department, the Australian government solicitor, and the immigration department’s counsel have all cleared the proposal.

At a press conference in Sydney, Dutton said Labor “either supports it or they don’t” and were acting like an “undisciplined rabble” by declaring their personal views on social media.

At a press conference in Yalata in South Australia on Monday, Turnbull said Labor had failed to stop asylum seeker boats and the government was now dealing with that failure.

“All we are seeking for them to do now is to support this legislation,” he said. “It sends a strong and unequivocal message. It is critically important.

“There is a battle of will between the people of Australia and their government and the people smugglers.”

The treasurer and former immigration minister, Scott Morrison, said Bill Shorten had “already blinked” because he had not responded to the policy within 24 hours.

“There’s no time for blinking” he said. “You need to know what you stand for, and you need to know what you’re going to do.”

He said Labor was “vexed” and “totally paralysed” on the issue. “The Labor party is being asked to legislate their articulated policy before the 2013 election … The fact that they’re tying themselves in knots tells everybody what they need to know about the Labor party on this issue.”

Asylum seekers face lifetime ban from entering Australia if they arrive by boat Read more

Labor MP Terri Butler said the government must explain the motivation for the law. “They must explain why it is consistent with international law – not just make assertions to that effect,” she said.



A number of other Labor figures including the former MP Melissa Parke and the former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally have expressed opposition.

Melissa Parke (@MelissaParke01) Govt's new asylum laws will be another flagrant violation of Int'l law. Meanwhile Aust seeks seat on UN human rights council...

Kristina Keneally (@KKeneally) So now we're banning refugees who found refuge in other countries from even visiting Australia? That's ridiculous. Shameful. Appalling.

On Monday Labor frontbench MP Andrew Leigh told Sky News the key was to ensure the 800-odd people on Manus and a similar number on Nauru were resettled, and the bill would do nothing to achieve that.

Dutton has said the law may pave the way to a resettlement deal with a third country to clear the camps, as it would prevent those resettled from returning to Australia through a “back door”.

The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, told Radio National the government’s plan was “barbaric, cruel, shameful, cynical politics”.



“I just hope and urge the Labor party and the crossbenchers to join with the Greens and make sure it doesn’t get past the Senate,” he said.

Nick Xenophon and Derryn Hinch have said they will wait to see the details; One Nation strongly supports the move.