Morrison opens door to NZ refugee solution

Scott Morrison has raised the prospect of sending refugees on Nauru to New Zealand.

Scott Morrison in question time yesterday. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison has raised the prospect of sending refugees on Nauru to New Zealand, signalling he is prepared to soften the government’s hardline position on boatpeople against the backdrop of Saturday’s Wentworth by-­election and criticism from his backbench and Labor.

Senior government sources said the Prime Minister — architect of Operation Sovereign Borders — would be “more likely” to accept New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s offer to take 150 refugees from Nauru if ­Coalition legislation to close the so-called back door to Australia is passed by the Senate.

The major shift came after a nightmare day in parliament for the Prime Minister, headlined by the government’s backflip over its support for a motion by Pauline Hanson declaring “it’s OK to be white”.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned in June that “a single act of compassion” could undo the government’s success in discouraging people-smugglers. But there are growing concerns within Coalition ranks over the fate of those in offshore detention, particularly children.

Stalled government legislation, rejected by Labor and the Greens in the Senate, would prevent resettled refugees from ever coming to Australia.

The Australian has been told the government would bring on the migration bill for an urgent vote if it received assurances that Labor would change its position.

Bill Shorten yesterday revealed Labor would table its own legislation to fast track medical transfers of children from Nauru, accompanied by their families, on the advice of medical practitioners. “This is about making sure vulnerable and sick children in Australia’s care can receive the medical treatment they need — when and where they need it,” the Opposition Leader said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Labor yesterday reiterated its opposition to the “lifetime ban” bill, saying the government had not required the legislation to be in place before signing a resettlement deal with former US president Barack Obama.

At a defence briefing last Friday, Air Marshal Mel Hupfield confirmed there had been a “gap in surveillance” when a fishing boat carrying Vietnamese men, women and children made landfall in far north Queensland in August. It was he first people-­smuggling venture to reach Australia in more than four years. The Australian Border Force and ADF have since ­increased maritime ­patrols and aerial ­surveillance.

In January, The Australian revealed New Zealand’s offer had prompted people-smugglers to target the country as a back door to Australia. Intelligence officials claimed at least three boats had sought to test the shift in policy.

Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman raised the plight of refugees in the partyroom yesterday, telling colleagues there was growing community concern about children in detention, and urging New Zealand be considered as a resettlement option in addition to the US.

Mr Morrison has had meetings with government ­backbenchers Russell Broadbent, Craig Laundy and Julia Banks, who warned the situation on Nauru had reached a “tipping point”. The Prime Minister ­indicated in parliament on ­Monday that the Coalition would consider the New Zealand offer if the legislation was passed, “but until that back door is shut, these issues only run the risk of inviting more people to risk their lives at sea and of us having to stop the boats”.

The stalled bill would prevent refugees, if they gained New Zealand citizenship in the future, from taking advantage of reciprocal ­arrangements allowing New Zealanders permanent residence in Australia. There are currently 693 refugees and asylum-seekers on Nauru and 644 on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.

Divisions within the Coalition were further exposed yesterday as the government backed away from its earlier support for Senator Hanson’s “it’s OK to be white” ­motion. The government yesterday voted with Labor and the Greens against the motion — which also recognised the “deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation” — less than 24 hours after it sided with One Nation to support it.

The move infuriated some ­Coalition backbenchers, including Luke Howarth, George Christensen and Jim Molan, who called into question the government’s handling of the issue.

With his decisions now being seen through the prism of the by-election in Wentworth — a progressive seat with high numbers of Jewish voters — Mr Morrison has also in recent days floated a controversial plan to shift Australia’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and announced a snap move to protect gay students from being expelled from non-government schools.

Opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann said Labor had urged the government to accept the New Zealand offer, but the legislation was “ridiculous overreach” and irrelevant to securing third-country resettlement arrangements. He said the bill would prevent resettled refugees from coming to Australia for business trips or to visit dying ­relatives.

“If Malcolm Turnbull was able to negotiate conditions for the US arrangement, then Scott Morrison should be able to negotiate them for any arrangement with New Zealand,” Mr Neumann said.

Ms Ardern reiterated her offer to take at least 150 refugees from Nauru at last month’s Pacific ­Islands Forum, in response to a ­report detailing widespread ­depression and self-harm among refugees and asylum-seekers on the island.

Her spokesman said yesterday: “Our offer remains the same.”

Mr Dutton this year warned that Australia was in a “danger phase” with illegal boat arrivals, and one act of compassion could “undo overnight” the five years of hard work in “stopping the boats”.