The Biloela family must be allowed to stay in Australia, Greens Immigration and Citizenship spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“Trying to deport a family, including Australian born children, in the dead of night is emblematic of this government’s heartlessness,” Senator McKim said.

“Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton and David Coleman must listen to the community and allow Priya, Nades and their children to stay in Australia.”

“With the stroke of a ministerial pen they could be released from detention and allowed to get on with their lives.”

I must say, it boggles my mind there are people sitting in this parliament who want to repeal a law that allows sick and injured people to receive the medical attention they need. How full of hatred must your heart be to say someone should be denied the medical treatment that they desperately need, simply because they are a refugee or an asylum seeker? Australia has imprisoned these people, there is no other way around this, and providing them with medical care is our obligation.

Australian Greens Immigration Spokesperson Nick McKim has been ordered to leave Manus Island on the sixth anniversary of the commencement of indefinite offshore detention.

“The veil of secrecy continues to surround Australia’s detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru,” Senator McKim said.

“As a member of the Australian Parliament it is my duty to examine the conditions in which Australia’s detainees are being kept.”

“This has been six long years of cruelty and deprivation.”

“The mental health of detainees is at an all-time low.”

LINK TO GROUP PHOTO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1szK9Ma5GUNF6yigYw-fzNi2bs3iYJpUk/view

The Liberals spending $185m to reopen and then close Christmas Island is rank cynicism and deeply wasteful, Greens Immigration spokesperson Nick McKim says.

“This is effectively $185 million spent on a press conference, so Scott Morrison could spread his message of hate and division, ” Senator McKim said.

“Not a single refugee or person seeking asylum has been transferred to this centre. It is tens of millions of dollars wasted on a press conference.”

Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim says words of condemnation for Pauline Hanson’s repugnant comments about Port Arthur are not enough.

“One Nation is a threat to community harmony, and Australia’s safe and tolerant society,” Senator McKim said.

“Ms Hanson’s comments about the Port Arthur massacre represent a new low.”

“They are an affront to every Tasmanian, particularly those of us who remember the horrors and trauma of that incident.”

“But words of condemnation are not enough – they must be backed up by actions.”

Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Australia's first Muslim woman Senator, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has received more than 1.3 million signatures from a change.org petition calling for Fraser Anning to be removed from Parliament following his disgraceful comments about the Christchurch terrorist attack. The petition is by far the largest in Australian online petition history. Senator Faruqi will present it to the Senate when Parliament resumes in a few weeks.