Urgency motions on refugees passed by the Queensland Labor Party
conference

URGENCY MOTION - ROYAL COMMISSION

That State Conference welcomes the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party's
support for a Royal Commission into aspects of the administration of
Australia's policy towards asylum seekers and refugees.

State Conference believes such a Royal Commission should have Terms of
Reference sufficient to consider:

conditions, incidents and events, in Australian and "Pacific Solution"
detention centres and all other forms of immigration detention and
prisons, police lock-ups, home detention, including how incidents were
acted upon and followed up;

engagement and administration of the contract between ACM and the
Commonwealth of Australia from 1997-2004 inclusive, and Group 4Falck
from 2003 onwards; and the conduct of ACM and GSL in their operation
of IDCs;

the sinking of SIEVX and the possible role of AFP, ASIS and agents
recruited, equipped or tasked by either AFP or ASIS;

whether the Howard government influenced ADF and other Commonwealth
agencies to suppress information about interception procedures and
measures regarding Australia's rescue obligations to refugee claimants
attempting to reach Australia in SIEVs;

deaths of immigration detainees including the adequacy of any previous
investigations and responses to their deaths, and unnatural deaths of
TPV holders in the community;

compliance of the TPV regime with international refugee law and its
impact on the human rights of refugees on TPVs;

the extent to which DIMIA observes Australia's obligations under
international human rights treaties;

whether a bias was present or created in refugee assessment and review;

the effects of preventing due access by lawyers, media agents and the
public in order to assess, assist, support and report;

whether obstructions were caused to the unfettered access to all
aspects of legal recourse during assessment, review and appeals;

the effects of government policies on their physical and mental health
and that of their families and dependants;

damage and disruption to asylum seekers' lives, family and career plans;

deportees and their fate upon return;

the cost to the Australian community of these policies;

and alternative systems for processing and determining refugee status,
including principles for detention and judicial review of asylum claims.

URGENCY MOTION

MIGRATION AMENDMENT (MANDATORY DETENTION) BILL AND MIGRATION AMENDMENT
(ACT OF COMPASSION) BILL

That State Conference is encouraged by the constructive and positive
proposals contained in the Migration Amendment (Mandatory Detention)
Bill and Migration Amendment (Act of Compassion) Bill.

Conference notes that the key elements of the Migration Amendment (Act
of Compassion) Bill include:

permanent protection for holders of temporary protection visas

long-term detainees who have been in detention for more than a year
would be released after individual assessment by a judge with the same
entitlements as the new bridging visa

children and families would be assessed by a judge and released unless
demonstrated to pose a significant danger

permanent residence for people who cannot be removed after three years
awaiting removal

Conference further notes that the key elements of the Migration
Amendment (Mandatory Detention) Bill include:

a 90 day limit on detention after which there would be judicial review
of the continued need to detain

asylum seekers would be released into the community on bridging visa
with work rights and Medicare whilst being processed

unsuccessful asylum seekers would be released into the community
whilst awaiting removal, subject to risk assessment and availability
for removal

ending temporary protection with all protection visas to be permanent

Conference believes these Bills represent a manifest improvement to
the flawed and discredited administrative regime which presently
operates, and notes that many elements contained in the Bills reflect
aspects of Labor's federal platform.

Accordingly, State Conference urges the Federal Parliamentary Labor
Party to support these Bills as a step towards a better system and
believes that any amendments offered by Federal Labor should only
serve to advance a more compassionate and humanitarian policy.