4 years ago
PEOPLE KICKED OUT OF AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALS BECAUSE OF MANUS AND NAURU? NOT TRUE
SENATOR THE HON KRISTINA KENEALLY
Today in Question Time in the House of Representatives, the Member for Cooper, Ged Kearney, asked the Minister for Health:
“The Minister for Home Affairs said Australians who were in waiting lines at public hospitals would be, and I quote: ‘kicked off those waiting lines because people from Nauru and Manus are now going to access those health services.’
Minister, did that happen?”
The Minister for Health claimed that reopening Christmas Island made “sure that there wasn't a waiting list of people coming to the mainland.”
This is inaccurate and misleading. Not one person has been transferred to Christmas Island as a result of the Medevac legislation.
The Medevac legislation only applies to refugees currently on Manus and Nauru. Some 100 people have been approved for transfer to Australia under Medevac – all of whom have been approved by the Government or Government-appointed doctors.
Reopening the Christmas Island detention centre cost the Australian taxpayer $185 million and was nothing more than media stunt designed to instil fear.
The Health Minister and the Home Affairs Minister have misled Australians. The Australian people deserve honesty.
“The Minister for Home Affairs said Australians who were in waiting lines at public hospitals would be, and I quote: ‘kicked off those waiting lines because people from Nauru and Manus are now going to access those health services.’
Minister, did that happen?”
The Minister for Health claimed that reopening Christmas Island made “sure that there wasn't a waiting list of people coming to the mainland.”
This is inaccurate and misleading. Not one person has been transferred to Christmas Island as a result of the Medevac legislation.
The Medevac legislation only applies to refugees currently on Manus and Nauru. Some 100 people have been approved for transfer to Australia under Medevac – all of whom have been approved by the Government or Government-appointed doctors.
Reopening the Christmas Island detention centre cost the Australian taxpayer $185 million and was nothing more than media stunt designed to instil fear.
The Health Minister and the Home Affairs Minister have misled Australians. The Australian people deserve honesty.