Peter Dutton and the Coalition want to repeal the Medevac Law when parliament returns from July. The law, passed in February, allows refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru to receive necessary medical care in Australia on the decision of doctors--rather than the Home Affairs Minister.
But the Coalition does not have a majority in the Senate. With Labor, The Greens and Centre Alliance Senators opposing repeal, the deciding vote will be newly re-elected Senator Jacqui Lambie's. Parliament sits for three days next week, but it is unlikely Medevac will be voted on until after 22 July.
Email Jacqui Lambie at contact@lambienetwork.com.au
(She does not yet have a new office number)
This July will mark six years since the refugees on Manus and Nauru were first sent there. The Morrison government has no solution to resettle the over 800 people left there. Instead it wants to repeal the Medevac Law that has allowed some to access urgent medical treatment. Join us to demand they #BringThemHere.
Invite your friends to the Facebook event here Donate to help Manus refugees access Medevac transfers
There is an epidemic of mental health and other medical problems for refugees on Manus Island. In February parliament passed the new Medevac Law which opens the possibility of accessing the medical care they need in Australia. Some refugees have also been transferred through court action in the Federal Court.
But with access to Manus Island increasingly restricted, the refugees need to gather medical information and help submit the applications themselves. Internet access on Manus Island is poor, which means an expensive high speed package is sometimes needed to submit the forms for each application. And medical information at times needs to be sent urgently when there is a medical emergency.
Please donate to allow us to send money to refugees on Manus who are struggling to meet the costs of applying through the Medevac process. We hope to raise $5000 to cover these ongoing costs for the next year.
