Tanya Plibersek - reply to letter re offshore detention

_{Dear Mike}

_{Thank you for getting in touch with me with your concerns about asylum seekers in Australia’s  regional processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island.}

_{Like you, I am deeply concerned by reports about the health and welfare of the men, women and  children who are in offshore processing. This is an issue that goes to the heart of our national character and the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has failed these people who are at their most vulnerable.}

_{Nauru and Manus Island were initially established as temporary regional processing centres while  third-party relocation arrangements were sought out. But since the Tony Abbott became Prime Minister in 2013 and appointed Scott Morrison as the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, these centres have become places of indefinite detention because  this out of touch government has failed to negotiate other resettlement options.}

_{The Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Shayne Neumann, has written to Peter  Dutton on behalf of Labor urging him to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle eligible refugees so that they are able to be resettled as quickly as possible.}

_{If the Liberals were able to negotiate appropriate conditions for the US refugee resettlement  agreement to prevent people smugglers exploiting vulnerable people, they should be able to negotiate similarly appropriate conditions for a deal with New Zealand.}

_{In August, Shayne Neumann also wrote to Peter Dutton voicing Labor’s concern about continued reports  relating to the physical and psychological wellbeing of the children on Nauru.}  

_{Labor strongly believes that medical transfers for refugees and children in Australian-funded  offshore regional processing centres should be made available when treatment is not available locally.}

_{It has been sixteen months since the report of the Labor-led Senate Inquiry following the leaked  Nauru files and Peter Dutton has failed to act on these reasonable recommendations to address concerns held by the wider Australian community.}

_{Peter Dutton’s unwillingness to implement, or even respond to, the recommendations set out in the  report is unreasonable and reckless – particularly when it comes to the health and welfare of asylum seekers and children.}

_{Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton have shown us over the past five years that the Liberals are utterly  incapable of addressing this hopelessly divided government’s failure to manage Australia’s regional processing centres or step up to negotiate third country resettlement options. It’s time for the new Prime Minister to step in and clean up Peter Dutton’s mess.}

_{A Shorten Labor Government is committed to taking a more humane approach to asylum seekers and immigration  policy. That is why, should we be successful at the next federal election. We will work to:}

_{·         Establish independent oversight of Australia’s immigration detention network, appointing an Independent Children’s Advocate to represent the interests of children seeking asylum and legislating to impose mandatory reporting of  child abuse;}

_{·         Restore the ’90 day rule’ which requires that refugee status determinations are concluded within 90 days from the time of application;}

_{·         Work to have children processed as quickly as possible;}

_{·         Contribute significant additional support to the important work of the UNHCR; and}

_{·         Abolish Temporary Protection Visas which leave asylum seekers in an unfair state of limbo.}

_{Thank you again for raising your concerns.}

_{Best wishes}

_Tanya