Thank you for signing this petition - we just surpassed 100,000 signatures, and in the nick of time. Right now, the Government is trying to quickly pass their amended legislation, letting Border Force take phones off asylum seekers. The Bill could pass through the Senate tomorrow (Tuesday) unless you let your Senators know you oppose it.
The National Justice Project fought the Minister for two years to ensure that people retained the use of their mobile phones as a vital link to the outside world and now he wants to take them away by overruling a court decision through parliament.
Let’s be clear, the beautiful family from Biloela would be in Sri Lanka today if they had not been able to communicate with their lawyers by telephone and we would not be able to see their mistreatment at the hands of guards in detention. The minister has sufficient power and control to regulate detention centres - this is just an act of cruelty. Unfortunately if the detainees lose their phones we fear that lives will be lost.
This could be our last chance to stop this Bill before it’s too late.
#DialItDownDutton