2018-05-25
Dutton’s refusal to answer questions about Manus death beneath contempt: Bandt
Greens Deputy Leader and MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, said Peter Dutton was beneath contempt for refusing to explain his government’s failure to notify a refugee’s wife that her husband had died on Manus Island earlier this week.
“Someone died on Tuesday morning under Peter Dutton’s watch. Although the government had time to leak information to the press that afternoon and arrange a negative story, they failed to notify his wife,” said Mr Bandt.
“Salim’s wife only found out about her husband’s death when the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre called to comfort her.”
“This is a fundamental lack of human decency. There is no line this government won’t cross.”
“Peter Dutton’s actions and his failure to answer questions about Salim’s death are beneath contempt.”
Adam Bandt’s Question to the Minister for Home Affairs
On Tuesday morning, Salim, a Rohingyan refugee on Manus Island, died under your watch.
By Tuesday afternoon, the government had leaked information to the press about this man and a negative story soon appeared.
But by late Wednesday afternoon, you still hadn’t notified his wife about his death, and when someone from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre called to comfort her, it turned out she was unaware of it.
Minister, is it now government policy to leak to the media about a death of someone under your care and not notify next of kin?
Doesn’t this fundamental lack of human decency show that there’s simply no line you won’t cross?
Media contact: Gideon Reisner, 0429 109 054
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