Detained asylum-seekers who need medical treatment could be banned from coming to Australia on "character" grounds if Labor can amend proposed new laws. A bill making it easier for asylum seekers to get medical treatment in Australia passed the Senate in December with Labor's support, but under pressure from the government the party wants to make more changes. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says no matter what changes are made, the legislation won't be acceptable. Labor now wants the proposed bill to only apply to people currently in offshore detention - not new arrivals - and set longer time frames for ministers to make decisions. The coalition warns that any change s to border protection policies will see refugee boat arrivals start again. "We will not be giving any comfort or any licence for the parliament to support this in any way, shape or form," Mr Morrison said outside an ecumenical church service marking the opening of parliament for the year on Tuesday. "This bill is acceptable in absolutely no form; it only weakens our borders. I will not give a leave pass to this parliament to weaken our border security." Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was possible for Australia to have strong borders and treat refugees humanely. "The current government confuses stubbornness with strength," he told reporters outside the same Canberra church. "What I've done is listened to the border experts and listened to the refugee advocates. "I think this is not an issue which should be dividing the nation." He received a security briefing on the proposed changes on Monday morning before meetings with the shadow cabinet and Labor caucus. In a cauc us meeting on Monday night, Labor MPs agreed to negotiate with the crossbench on giving the minister power to reject a medical transfer on character grounds. Six of the seven crossbenchers need to support the bill in the lower house for it to pass. Independent member for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps, who has put up a bill with similar provisions, says the crossbenchers in both houses thought they had found a best practice solution with the measures that passed the Senate in December. "If there are some small tweaks that need to be done to make it acceptable to the majority of parliamentarians in the House of Representatives, that is what we want to achieve today," she told Sky News. "There are a lot of very good hearted people in this building and what they want to do is to find a solution." Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the "unnecessary and counterproductive" changes would undermine offshore processing and restart the people smuggling trade. Australian Associated Press
Detained asylum-seekers who need medical treatment could be banned from coming to Australia on "character" grounds if Labor can amend proposed new laws.
A bill making it easier for asylum seekers to get medical treatment in Australia passed the Senate in December with Labor's support, but under pressure from the government the party wants to make more changes.
However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says no matter what changes are made, the legislation won't be acceptable.
Labor now wants the proposed bill to only apply to people currently in offshore detention - not new arrivals - and set longer time frames for ministers to make decisions.
The coalition warns that any changes to border protection policies will see refugee boat arrivals start again.
"We will not be giving any comfort or any licence for the parliament to support this in any way, shape or form," Mr Morrison said outside an ecumenical church service marking the opening of parliament for the year on Tuesday.
"This bill is acceptable in absolutely no form; it only weakens our borders. I will not give a leave pass to this parliament to weaken our border security."
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said it was possible for Australia to have strong borders and treat refugees humanely.
"The current government confuses stubbornness with strength," he told reporters outside the same Canberra church.
"What I've done is listened to the border experts and listened to the refugee advocates.
"I think this is not an issue which should be dividing the nation."
He received a security briefing on the proposed changes on Monday morning before meetings with the shadow cabinet and Labor caucus.
In a caucus meeting on Monday night, Labor MPs agreed to negotiate with the crossbench on giving the minister power to reject a medical transfer on character grounds.
Six of the seven crossbenchers need to support the bill in the lower house for it to pass.
Independent member for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps, who has put up a bill with similar provisions, says the crossbenchers in both houses thought they had found a best practice solution with the measures that passed the Senate in December.
"If there are some small tweaks that need to be done to make it acceptable to the majority of parliamentarians in the House of Representatives, that is what we want to achieve today," she told Sky News.
"There are a lot of very good hearted people in this building and what they want to do is to find a solution."
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the "unnecessary and counterproductive" changes would undermine offshore processing and restart the people smuggling trade.
Australian Associated Press
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