Bill
Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015
passed, as at 2015-06-30. Immigration and Border Protection portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Immigration and Border Protection
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2015-06-24
- second reading — 2015-06-24
- second reading — 2015-06-24
- second reading — 2015-06-24
- third reading — 2015-06-24
- introduced — 2015-06-25
- second reading — 2015-06-25
- second reading — 2015-06-25
- second reading — 2015-06-25
- committee — 2015-06-25
- third reading — 2015-06-25
- passed — 2015-06-25
- royal assent — 2015-06-30
Divisions
- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2015-06-25.11.2) to "*exempt this bill from the [bills cut-off](http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/aso/so111) order*". If this motion hadn't been successful, the Senate would have had to wait until the next sitting period in order to consider this bill. Read more about bills cut-off orders in [Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice](http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/aso/~/link.aspx?_id=49DC5DA705D1472F95440FDF517201FA&_z=z). Liberal Senator [Mitch Fifield](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/victoria/mitch_fifield) (Vic) [explained](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2015-06-25.11.2) the Coalition were seeking this: > *As I indicated in my contribution on the motion relating to hours, the offshore processing arrangements are central to the government's efforts to protect our borders. We place a very high premium as a government on the protection of our borders. We are seeking exemption from the cut-off in order to enable this legislation to be debated and resolved today. The government is clearly of the view that it is important to that it is important to ensure certainty and a robust legislative basis for offshore processing. In seeking to move exemption from the cut-off, we are not attempting to do anything other than what has frequently been done in this place for bills which are time critical.* ### Motion text > *That a motion to exempt this bill from the bills cut-off order may be moved immediately and have precedence over all other business today until determined.* ### What does the bill do? According to its [parliamentary website](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5491), the bill: > *Amends the Migration Act 1958 to provide statutory authority for the Commonwealth to provide assistance to other countries to carry into effect — 2015-06-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 42, noes 11
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - Second Reading - Agree with the main idea — 2015-06-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 37, noes 13
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - in Committee - Detention of children — 2015-06-25, Senate: negative, ayes 13, noes 34
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - in Committee - Mandatory reporting of abuse — 2015-06-25, Senate: negative, ayes 16, noes 31
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - in Committee - Access to regional detention centres — 2015-06-25, Senate: negative, ayes 11, noes 33
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - in Committee - Limit detention to 3 months — 2015-06-25, Senate: negative, ayes 11, noes 36
- Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015 - Third Reading - Pass the bill — 2015-06-25, Senate: affirmative, ayes 41, noes 15
Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2015-06-24.
This bill would give the Australian government legal authority to act on regional processing arrangements with other countries.
It would let the Commonwealth take action, make payments, and do anything incidental to those arrangements.
The changes would apply both before and after the bill becomes law.
- Provides statutory authority for the Commonwealth to take action related to regional processing arrangements.
- Allows the Commonwealth to make payments for regional processing functions.
- Confirms Australian officials can assist foreign governments in regional processing countries.
The Commonwealth, Australian officials, and the governments of regional processing countries such as Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
Sources
em
billhome
frl act