STATEMENTS BY SENATORS
Senator WHITTEN (Western Australia) (13:17): I'm getting sick of talking about this, but the Australian people need to be assured that One Nation sees and cares about the abysmal state of our woke courts and institutions. A report in the Australian has revealed that one of the NZYQ cohort, a man from Sierra Leone in his 50s with multiple sexual assault convictions, has had a win in the Australian Federal Court.
He's attempting to move to a more permanent visa to stay in the country. The ART declined to move him to a protection visa on the basis that any risk of further sexual offences was unacceptable. What a refreshingly sensible position!
But the Federal Court has now overruled that decision, saying that the ART had failed to take into account the expert testimony of therapists. These therapists argued that providing this degenerate criminal with a permanent visa would lower the risk of him re-offending. This is a man who has been convicted of multiple sexual offences against young boys, and our courts are running protection for him.
They are putting the comfort of this predator over the safety of our citizens—over the safety of our children and our community. It is wrong. It is disgusting.
And it needs to change. While the ART was the voice of reason in this case, they are by no means a shield for the protection of the Australian people. Between 23 March and 26 April, the ART set aside 475 visa cancellations involving non-citizens with substantial criminal records.
Sixteen of these cases involved people found guilty of child sex offences. That should shock all Australians. There should be no world where someone comes to this country, is convicted of child sex offences and is allowed to stay.
I do not care if they are in danger in their own country. Once they've crossed the line, their safety means nothing to me. In fact, I wish them every misfortune that may come their way.
They should be on the next flight back to wherever they came from, and they can deal with them how they like. This man couldn't be returned to Sierra Leone because they frown upon child sexual acts against young boys over there. When did we stop frowning?
Send him back, and let them dispense justice as they see fit. I would sooner see him put in jeopardy than let him loose on Australian citizens to destroy more lives. The young men who were the victims of this monster have had their lives devastated.
Who here is fighting for our children? The moralising and mental gymnastics that goes along with pretending we owe foreign criminals safe haven is putting our own at risk. It's disgusting.
Labor have the power to act now, but they act like there is nothing to be done and that they are bound by the rules. You are making the rules; they are your rules. There is nothing in the Constitution that requires Australia to harbour foreign criminals.
We do not owe them safety. Don't hide behind foreign treaties. Your only concern should be for the people of Australia.
You're in control of these laws. Put the safety of Australians first. The Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, has the power to issue ministerial directions to change how the ART decides to cancel visas on character grounds.
He can issue new directions any time he sees fit. Yet, under current ministerial direction 110, we have seen 475 foreign criminals have their cancellations set aside, with 16 child sex offenders being told they are welcome to stay in Australia. This is intolerable.
The language of that direction should leave no room for doubt as to what should happen to criminal noncitizens. Send them back. It doesn't matter how long you've been in the country.
It doesn't matter what your ties to Australia are. If you are a serious offender, if you are convicted of any sexual crime against children, your visa must be cancelled and you should be shown the door. We hear the argument that Australia owes some of these people protection, and that our laws prevent us from removing those who may face persecution when they arrive home.
Too bad. Change the laws. You had your chance to live in the greatest country on earth, and you couldn't control yourself.
The only protection that is owed is to the Australian community, to our elderly, to our women and children, from these predators. If laws are standing in your way, change them. If you can't bring yourself to send back those that have raped, assaulted, molested or violated Australian citizens, resign.
If you don't have the guts or the backbone to stand up for the Australian people, move aside for people that do.