2016-06-16
The Australian Greens have reaffirmed their commitment to scrapping Temporary Protection Visas, which leave people living in an interminable limbo, following the Government's attack on refugees today.
"This isn't about the Labor Party, this is about attacking people who have been found to be refugees and deserve protection," the Greens' immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
"Rather than letting vulnerable people get on with rebuilding their lives, the Liberals want them to suffer needlessly so that they can be used for political gain.
"TPVS are inefficient, bad policy that will eventually have to be scrapped just like they were under John Howard's government.
"Once upon a time there were people in the Liberal Party like Bruce Baird, Petro Georgiou and Judi Moylan who knew that TPVs were not the answer.
"Malcolm Turnbull is spruiking Tony Abbott's lines and using Peter Dutton to turn refugees into a political punching bag in the last days of an election campaign.
"Dutton has been in witness protection since his last offensive outburst on refugees. Out of desperation, and in a case of spectacularly bad judgement, it seems Malcolm Turnbull has let him off the leash once again."
Media Contact: Noah Schultz-Byard 0427 604 760