The WA Government supports referring federal immigration legislation amendments to a Senate committee for further consideration, advocating for public submissions to address complexities and ensure diverse community views are considered.

AnsweredQoN 505Legislative Council
Asked
30 August 2001
Portfolio
minister representing the Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I preface my question by drawing the Premier’s attention by way of example to the fact that when the United Nations human rights committee on refugees assesses Afghanis in Indonesia, 14 per cent are approved as genuine refugees, whereas when Afghanis are assessed under our system in Australia, 84 per cent are approved as genuine refugees.  The legislation, of course, provides that a reasonable explanation for failing to produce documents will be taken into account. (1) Does the Western Australian Labor Government support the federal Government’s attempts to tighten up immigration legislation so that the refugee convention does not continue to be interpreted so broadly that people who were never envisaged to be refugees manage to obtain refugee protection in Australia? (2) Does the Western Australian Government also support the federal Government’s legislation, which provides that the lack of identity documentation may be the basis for drawing adverse inferences about a person’s claimed identity, nationality and citizenship? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.
(1) Does the Western Australian Labor Government support the federal Government’s attempts to tighten up immigration legislation so that the refugee convention does not continue to be interpreted so broadly that people who were never envisaged to be refugees manage to obtain refugee protection in Australia? (2) Does the Western Australian Government also support the federal Government’s legislation, which provides that the lack of identity documentation may be the basis for drawing adverse inferences about a person’s claimed identity, nationality and citizenship? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.
(2) Does the Western Australian Government also support the federal Government’s legislation, which provides that the lack of identity documentation may be the basis for drawing adverse inferences about a person’s claimed identity, nationality and citizenship? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.
Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.
(1)-(2) The Western Australian Government is supportive of the commonwealth Senate’s move to refer the immigration legislation amendments to a commonwealth senate committee for further consideration.  The State believes that the amendments are complex and the senate committee inquiry would be a sound strategy to resolve these complexities.  The Western Australian Government advocates that the senate committee also calls for public submissions in its inquiry phase to ensure that a wide cross-section of community views is considered.

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