Scott Morrison revives Senate bill to resettle refugees to New Zealand

Scott Morrison is reviving a stalled Senate bill that could open the way to refugees on Nauru being resettled in New Zealand.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, right, with the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, David Coleman. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison is reviving a stalled Senate bill that could open the way to refugees on Nauru being resettled in New Zealand.

The Australian can reveal Immigration minister David Coleman has begun speaking to Senate crossbenchers to gauge their support on the so-called “lifetime ban” bill that would prevent refugees resettled in third countries from ever coming to Australia.

The Prime Minister says the passage of the bill is a precondition of the government considering New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s offer to take 150 refugees from Nauru.

Mr Coleman has approached crossbenchers David Leyonhjelm, Brian Burston, Cory Bernardi, Fraser Anning and Centre Alliance senators Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick, to discuss the bill, which was shelved by the government in 2016 amid opposition from Labor and the Greens.

Senators Burston and Anning pledged to support the bill, while Senators Leyonhjelm and Bernardi were yet to meet with the Minister.

The Centre Alliance Senators were also yet to meet with Mr Coleman, and would consider supporting the bill if it was amended to cover only refugees resettled in New Zealand.

“If it is exactly the same as the last bill it will be a catch all for everyone. It means the US resettled refugees would be caught by it and anyone else they’ve done that with now or in the future. It’s effectively giving refugees a life sentence,” Senator Griff said.

“(Mr Morrison’s) being deceitful on this by linking the two (the bill to Nauru and New Zealand). It shows the government has little humanity and no true desire to do the right thing. They’re trying to make a very oppressive bill get up so they can fix up the Nauru situation.”

The government needs the votes of eight of 10 Senate crossbenchers to pass the bill without the support of Labor and the Greens.

Mr Morrison today sought to play down a shift in the government’s tough border stance, after signalling — against the backdrop of Wentworth — that he might allow the New Zealand solution.

“There is no support for that bill at present,” Mr Morrison said this morning.

“All I’ve simply said is that there has been a bill in the parliament since 2016. That is the government’s bill and it is not supported by the crossbenchers, it’s not supported by the Labor Party or Greens. I have made that observation. That’s all.”

It’s understood Pauline Hanson, who controls two votes in the chamber, is yet to be approached by Mr Coleman.

Senator Burston, from the United Australia Party, said Mr Coleman’s office rang his office yesterday and he had informed the Minister he will support the bill.

“A lot of migrants are going to New Zealand, staying there a little while and then with freedom of movement between the two countries they were utilising the loophole to come to Australia. If they close that that’d be fine, I’d agree with that,” Senator Burston said.

The Katter’s Australian Party’s Senator Anning said he “strongly” supported the legislation because there should be “no incentive for illegal economic migrants to come to this country”.

However he warned the bill had a “flaw” because it only applied to adults.

“It will simply encourage a flood of seventeen year olds (or those claiming to be seventeen) to come here illegally,” Senator Anning said.

“If you genuinely need to come here as a ‘refugee’ there is a correct way, and that is not by a boat after you have passed through half a dozen countries in which you are safe. This legislation will also ensure that anyone who is resettled in New Zealand won’t have a back door to sneak into this country.”