2016-02-05
The draft cabinet briefing, reportedly prepared for the Immigration Minister and leaked to the media today, proposing a radical overhaul of the nation's visa and citizenship systems is an embarrassment to the nation, the Australian Greens have said.
"This extreme document shows that the government is ramping up to a dog-whistle election campaign and that's very concerning," the Greens' immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
"This is a direct attack on people seeking asylum and is designed to stop them from permanently resettling in Australia.
"Instead of working as hard as possible to divide our community, the government should be bringing us closer together.
"This document is a collection of poorly cobbled thought bubbles and xenophobic Abbott-isms and it should be condemned immediately.
"The Prime Minister needs to make it clear; is this what he wants his government to stand for?
"After moving to send children to Nauru this week and now, with this abysmal effort from his Immigration Minister, Malcom Turnbull needs to decide what type of Prime Minister he really wants to be."
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