AI
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 10:48:25 PM
Australian conservative Peter Dutton attacks court decision on medevac. Echoes of Trump's
attacks on the courts on early decisions regarding his flub immigration executive orders.
"Federal election 2019: Dutton's apology over disability slur 'humble thing to do', says PM – politics live"
Peter Dutton says boat arrivals will rise following court decision on medevac
AM By Stephanie Borys
Updated about 5 hours ago
Video: Peter Dutton has urged the Labor Party to support the Government's plans to repeal the "medevac" law (ABC News)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/dutton-warns-of-new-boat-arrivals/11226794
Related Story: Dutton defends accepting Rwandan pair accused of murder in resettlement deal
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-16/peter-dutton-unsure-medevac-arrivals-refugees-serious-offences/11214584
Related Story: The Government says the medevac bill will allow healthy refugees to come here. Is that correct?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/fact-check-medevac-refugees-offshore-coleman/10839222
Related Story: Fact Check: Did the PM get the 'simple math' on sick refugees wrong?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-15/fact-check-dutton-refugees-hospital-beds/10900474
A fight over border protection is heating up, with the Home Affairs Minister claiming boat arrivals
are much more likely, following a recent federal court decision on the so-called medevac legislation.
Key points:
* The Federal Court recently ruled that doctors don't need an appointment with patients before deciding if they need treatment in Australia
* Human Rights Law Centre said there's nothing unusual for doctors to provide assessments without seeing patients
* The Labor Party said it supported the medevac law and would not support the government's efforts to repeal it
Peter Dutton told AM he fears the court's ruling will make travelling to Australia by boat more attractive for potential asylum seekers and he is pushing ahead with plans to scrap the legislation .. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-19/federal-court-ruling-reignites-medevac-legislation-debate/11225718 .. when Parliament resumes next month.
"We can only clean it up if the Labor Party support the Government
in the Senate to abolish this bill, to abolish this law," he told AM.
The Federal Court on Tuesday ruled that doctors do not have to have an appointment with a refugee before determining whether they need medical treatment in Australia, and can instead make a recommendation based on a person's records.
The ruling only applies to those on Nauru, where medical consultations via teleconference have been banned, and Mr Dutton has raised concerns.
"The fact that two doctors who haven't had any interaction with the patient could make a decision that that person should come to Australia is a completely outrageous arrangement."
Under the medevac laws, two Australian doctors must assess a person before making a recommendation for a transfer.
Human Rights Law Centre's Senior Lawyer David Burke worked on the case and said there is nothing unusual about providing a medical assessment without meeting a patient.
"This is something that is done every day in Australian in hospitals, where surgeons and specialists are
recommending treatment for patients on the basis of detailed medical records and x-rays and lab tests," he said.
"There is nothing controversial in this."
Boats could come, regardless of outcome: Dutton
Despite this, Mr Dutton has warned that the Federal Court ruling could have wide ranging ramifications.
"It may have applicability to many hundreds of people, which has certainly the potential to restart boats and that would be a travesty," he said.
Photo: The medevac legislation passed in February in an historic defeat for the Government.
(AP: Jason Oxenham)
Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally said boat arrivals are highly unlikely because the medevac legislation only applies to people already on Manus Island and Nauru.
"There is no pull factor here, this is just scare mongering from the Government," she said.
However, Mr Dutton said that will not be the message that people smugglers convey to vulnerable people.
"We are not dealing with honourable people, we are dealing with organised criminal syndicates who will spin and twist any message they possibly can to take money from innocent men, women and children," he said.
"And the fact is that if you end up with new boats arriving, they will be there under false pretences sure, but the fact is that they will be there."
Thirty people brought to mainland so far
The Federal Government previously warned the medevac bill would result in "a flood" of about 300 immediate transfers to Australia once it passed parliament, but only about 30 people have been brought out from Manus Island so far .. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-16/peter-dutton-unsure-medevac-arrivals-refugees-serious-offences/11214584 .
Mr Dutton said he is concerned about how many people from Nauru will now apply for a medical transfer following the court's ruling.
But Mr Burke said he believed the number of medical transfers from Nauru will not be high and will mirror the Manus Island figures.
"So far we've only had a handful of applications of people on Nauru and all of them were incredibly clear cases where there was a real need for medical treatment and we think that will continue," he said.
Kristina Keneally addresses media at Eastwood in Sydney.
Photo: Kristina Keneally says Labor will not help abolish the medevac legislation. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
Mr Dutton has urged Labor to support the Government and abolish the medevac legislation when parliament resumes, but Ms Keneally says that will not be happening.
"Labor supports the medevac legislation for two reasons," she said.
"One, it provides a way for people who are sick to get the healthcare they need, and two, it ensures that the minister retains the power and discretion to determine who comes into the country."
It means the Government will have to look to the crossbench for support, needing four out of the six Senators to ensure the legislation can be scrapped.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/warnings-of-boat-arrivals/11226254
A doctor, being interviewed just now, says doctors everyday are making decisions whether for referral or test or other
things on patients without seeing them so Dutton's argument is specious. The doctor works with immigrants and refugees.
attacks on the courts on early decisions regarding his flub immigration executive orders.
"Federal election 2019: Dutton's apology over disability slur 'humble thing to do', says PM – politics live"
Peter Dutton says boat arrivals will rise following court decision on medevac
AM By Stephanie Borys
Updated about 5 hours ago
Video: Peter Dutton has urged the Labor Party to support the Government's plans to repeal the "medevac" law (ABC News)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/dutton-warns-of-new-boat-arrivals/11226794
Related Story: Dutton defends accepting Rwandan pair accused of murder in resettlement deal
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-16/peter-dutton-unsure-medevac-arrivals-refugees-serious-offences/11214584
Related Story: The Government says the medevac bill will allow healthy refugees to come here. Is that correct?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/fact-check-medevac-refugees-offshore-coleman/10839222
Related Story: Fact Check: Did the PM get the 'simple math' on sick refugees wrong?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-15/fact-check-dutton-refugees-hospital-beds/10900474
A fight over border protection is heating up, with the Home Affairs Minister claiming boat arrivals
are much more likely, following a recent federal court decision on the so-called medevac legislation.
Key points:
* The Federal Court recently ruled that doctors don't need an appointment with patients before deciding if they need treatment in Australia
* Human Rights Law Centre said there's nothing unusual for doctors to provide assessments without seeing patients
* The Labor Party said it supported the medevac law and would not support the government's efforts to repeal it
Peter Dutton told AM he fears the court's ruling will make travelling to Australia by boat more attractive for potential asylum seekers and he is pushing ahead with plans to scrap the legislation .. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-19/federal-court-ruling-reignites-medevac-legislation-debate/11225718 .. when Parliament resumes next month.
"We can only clean it up if the Labor Party support the Government
in the Senate to abolish this bill, to abolish this law," he told AM.
The Federal Court on Tuesday ruled that doctors do not have to have an appointment with a refugee before determining whether they need medical treatment in Australia, and can instead make a recommendation based on a person's records.
The ruling only applies to those on Nauru, where medical consultations via teleconference have been banned, and Mr Dutton has raised concerns.
"The fact that two doctors who haven't had any interaction with the patient could make a decision that that person should come to Australia is a completely outrageous arrangement."
Under the medevac laws, two Australian doctors must assess a person before making a recommendation for a transfer.
Human Rights Law Centre's Senior Lawyer David Burke worked on the case and said there is nothing unusual about providing a medical assessment without meeting a patient.
"This is something that is done every day in Australian in hospitals, where surgeons and specialists are
recommending treatment for patients on the basis of detailed medical records and x-rays and lab tests," he said.
"There is nothing controversial in this."
Boats could come, regardless of outcome: Dutton
Despite this, Mr Dutton has warned that the Federal Court ruling could have wide ranging ramifications.
"It may have applicability to many hundreds of people, which has certainly the potential to restart boats and that would be a travesty," he said.
Photo: The medevac legislation passed in February in an historic defeat for the Government.
(AP: Jason Oxenham)
Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally said boat arrivals are highly unlikely because the medevac legislation only applies to people already on Manus Island and Nauru.
"There is no pull factor here, this is just scare mongering from the Government," she said.
However, Mr Dutton said that will not be the message that people smugglers convey to vulnerable people.
"We are not dealing with honourable people, we are dealing with organised criminal syndicates who will spin and twist any message they possibly can to take money from innocent men, women and children," he said.
"And the fact is that if you end up with new boats arriving, they will be there under false pretences sure, but the fact is that they will be there."
Thirty people brought to mainland so far
The Federal Government previously warned the medevac bill would result in "a flood" of about 300 immediate transfers to Australia once it passed parliament, but only about 30 people have been brought out from Manus Island so far .. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-16/peter-dutton-unsure-medevac-arrivals-refugees-serious-offences/11214584 .
Mr Dutton said he is concerned about how many people from Nauru will now apply for a medical transfer following the court's ruling.
But Mr Burke said he believed the number of medical transfers from Nauru will not be high and will mirror the Manus Island figures.
"So far we've only had a handful of applications of people on Nauru and all of them were incredibly clear cases where there was a real need for medical treatment and we think that will continue," he said.
Kristina Keneally addresses media at Eastwood in Sydney.
Photo: Kristina Keneally says Labor will not help abolish the medevac legislation. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
Mr Dutton has urged Labor to support the Government and abolish the medevac legislation when parliament resumes, but Ms Keneally says that will not be happening.
"Labor supports the medevac legislation for two reasons," she said.
"One, it provides a way for people who are sick to get the healthcare they need, and two, it ensures that the minister retains the power and discretion to determine who comes into the country."
It means the Government will have to look to the crossbench for support, needing four out of the six Senators to ensure the legislation can be scrapped.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/warnings-of-boat-arrivals/11226254
A doctor, being interviewed just now, says doctors everyday are making decisions whether for referral or test or other
things on patients without seeing them so Dutton's argument is specious. The doctor works with immigrants and refugees.
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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