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Anthony Albanese’s government will rush a legal change through Parliament on Thursday after a controversial High Court ruling freed 83 asylum seekers – including “hardcore criminals” – from detention.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the Senate on Wednesday afternoon that the federal government was considering an urgent solution following last week’s surprise court ruling.
In a statement released later that evening, the government went further and said it was “taking further action in response to the recent High Court decision which we strongly opposed” by fully enacting to rush a law to Parliament on Thursday.
“The Government will introduce and seek to pass this legislation tomorrow to further respond to the High Court’s decision,” said a joint statement from Home Secretary Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.
“The full implications will not be clear until the High Court provides written reasons for its judgment, meaning additional legislation may be required once this judgment has been considered.”
The High Court’s ruling last Wednesday led to the immediate release of 81 foreign nationals held indefinitely by the government, including a pedophile who raped a 10-year-old boy in Sydney’s west and a Malaysian hitman who murdered a pregnant woman.
Two other people were later released.
Ms O’Neil has openly expressed her disappointment with the decision, which the federal government opposed.
The crisis comes at a trying time for the Albanian government as the prime minister prepares to fly out this evening on another crucial international trip to the United States, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summit.
The crisis comes at a trying time for the Albanian government as the prime minister jets off on another crucial international trip to the United States, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summit.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Mr Albanese should skip the event – which was never missed by a single PM, Julia Gillard, when her father died. Several Liberal Party prime ministers have stressed the importance of the APEC summit over the years.
Instead, Mr Dutton said Mr Albanese should work through the night to pass legislation to return asylum seekers to detention.
“We will sit down with the government, we will sit for overtime all night,” he said Wednesday.
Mr Dutton added that the Prime Minister must be prepared to “do whatever it takes to get these people back into custody, where they belong”.
Widespread criticism of the Labor government following the decision caused deep frustration within the government.
Until now, ministers have felt their hands were tied, with the High Court failing to reveal the precise reasons for its decision, which could take months.
Without this information, the government will struggle to act on the court’s ruling and introduce legislation to detain asylum seekers.
But Senator Wong revealed during Question Time on Wednesday that “the government intends to introduce legislation soon to further respond to the High Court’s decision.”
“We hope that the opposition will help pass this legislation as soon as possible,” she said.
Anthony Albanese’s government is now signaling it will rush legal change through Parliament after a controversial High Court ruling freed 81 asylum seekers – including “hardcore criminals” – from detention.
Mr Albanese has recently been criticized for his intense travel schedule, despite data suggesting he has traveled no more than his recent predecessors.
Insiders say the timing of his trips – as everyday Australians struggle to pay their bills, fill their gas tanks and go shopping – is “unfortunate”, but have challenged the opposition to reveal which ones they would have deleted.
“They are our most important trading partners,” said a government official.
In 2007, Prime Minister John Howard described APEC as “an unprecedented opportunity for bilateral trade”.
And in 2018, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison said APEC was an ideal opportunity for independent sovereign states to “keep getting along.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the Senate on Wednesday afternoon that the federal government was considering an urgent solution following last week’s surprise court ruling.
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil, alongside Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, has been tasked with leading the government’s response to the crisis.
Ms O’Neil openly expressed her disappointment with the decision.
She told Sunrise host Nat Barr that “these crimes and these people are absolutely despicable.”
“I’m raising three children in this country and I can tell you that if I had anything in my power to keep these people in detention, I absolutely would.”
With the Prime Minister abroad, responsibility will fall on Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also weighed in on the High Court’s decision.
He assured that public authorities were using all options at their disposal to closely monitor released asylum seekers.
“I remind Australians that we opposed this in the High Court,” he said.
“It’s not our decision. But following the decision handed down by the High Court, these people were released.
“They were granted transitional visas with the strictest conditions possible. This is something the government did immediately.
“We continue to evaluate the options we have here, which include possible legislative responses, and we will work on them very quickly.”