‘Sick, Obscene Politics’: Greens Slam Labor’s New Refugee Curbs Amid Middle East Conflict
CANBERRA – Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has launched a blistering attack on the Albanese government, accusing Labor of “slamming the door” on Middle Eastern refugees while simultaneously backing military escalation in the region.
Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, the South Australian Senator condemned the government’s introduction of sweeping new powers designed to prevent those fleeing conflict in Iran and across the Middle East from seeking asylum in Australia.
A Study in Contrast
Hanson-Young highlighted what she termed “sheer hypocrisy,” noting that the restrictive measures arrived on the same day the Prime Minister offered protection to the Iranian women’s soccer team.
“On the very same day that the Prime Minister is offering protection to the Iranian women’s soccer team, this government is now slamming the door shut for anybody else,” Hanson-Young said. “What have we become?
Geopolitical Fallout
The Greens’ Manager of Business in the Senate further linked domestic migration policy to Australia’s foreign alignment, accusing the government of backing a “bloody war” led by the Trump administration while deserting the victims of that same violence.
The Senator argued that Labor is currently “locked in a race to the bottom” with the Liberal Party and One Nation, describing the legislative rush as “sick, obscene politics.”
Humanitarian Crisis
The remarks come amid reports of intensifying violence in the Middle East, with schools and hospitals being destroyed. Hanson-Young argued that the government was “cheering on” the bombing while denying safety to those displaced by it.
“War kills people. Wars create refugees,” Hanson-Young concluded, labeling the government’s actions as “disgusting.”
The government has yet to formally respond to the Senator’s characterization of the new powers, which the Greens claim represent a fundamental abandonment of Australia’s humanitarian obligations.