Letter condemning the treatment of Kiwi detainees to be tabled in the Australian Parliament

Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox will present a cross-party letter to Senator Lee Rhiannon from the Australian Green Party in Sydney today, condemning Australia’s treatment of New Zealand citizens detained on Christmas Island.

The Māori Party, the ACT Party and the Green Party are united in their condemnation. The open letter addressed to the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull calls on the Government to immediately return detainees of New Zealand descent from Christmas Island and to release them as per their bail conditions to await deportation decisions.

Mrs Fox who has been in contact with families of the detainees on Christmas Island says “all the evidence we’ve heard to date amounts to a serious breach of human rights.”

“It isn’t good enough that ex-pat New Zealanders are being isolated on an off-shore island and being deprived of adequate legal services or the company of their whānau while awaiting life-altering news. Most politicians this side of the ditch are appalled by this practice.”

Green Party Co-leader James Shaw added, “New Zealand’s close relationship with Australia shouldn’t stop us from challenging Australia when it breaches the human rights of people locked in detention centres, or deported simply because they were born in New Zealand.

“The Green Party is still hoping that the New Zealand Government will take a stand against Australia’s human rights abuses by withholding supporting for its seat on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council.

ACT Leader David Seymour says, “The Australians may be within their sovereign rights, but they don’t appear to be acknowledging our countries’ special bond, nor the enormous taxes paid by New Zealanders working in Australia.”

The letter, signed by ACT leader David Seymour and Green Party Co-leader James Shaw of the Green Party will be tabled in the Australian Parliament by the Green Party. The New Zealand Labour Party and the cross-party Human Rights Committee has also condemned the detention of New Zealand citizens on Christmas Island.

Recent amendments to Australia’s Migration Act have meant foreign nationals who are incarcerated for a year or more face automatic deportation from Australia to their homeland, a move which has devastated many hardworking ex-pat Kiwi families in Australia.

Mrs Fox is currently in Sydney to meet with whānau of detainees.

ENDS

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