Jacqui Lambie rules out horse-trading her vote on bill to repeal medevac

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/13/jacqui-lambie-rules-out-horse-trading-her-vote-on-bill-to-repeal-medevac

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Jacqui Lambie has ruled out horse-trading her vote on the Coalition’s bill to repeal provisions facilitating medical evacuation from offshore detention.

At a doorstop ahead of the sitting fortnight, the independent senator – who is likely to have the casting vote – suggested she will vote on the merits of the bill after a Senate inquiry reports back on 18 October.

“Tasmanians don’t want deals done over humanity,” Lambie told reporters in Canberra. “So whichever way [my vote] goes, there will be no deals done for Tasmania over this.”

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The medevac legislation, introduced in the 45th parliament by Labor, the Greens and independents over the objections of the Coalition government, gives clinicians a greater say in the medical transfers of asylum seekers.

The bill creates a specialist medical panel to approve transfers under advice from doctors rather than government officials, although the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, and immigration minister, David Coleman, retain the power to refuse transfers on national security grounds.

According to the parliamentary library, of a total of 84 individuals and groups who made submissions to a parliamentary inquiry examining the proposed repeal only the home affairs department supported the government bill.

With Labor, the Greens and Centre Alliance opposed to the repeal the Coalition needs the votes of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Lambie to pass it.

On Sunday a group of 11 health bodies released a joint statement calling for the government to retain the Independent Health Advice Panel of medical experts who rule on refugee transfers.

The president of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Simon Judkins, reportedly said he was “encouraged” by comments made by Lambie in private meetings to discuss the bill.

“She understood that the delivery of healthcare was a vital issue and that the system was working. So we hope that Senator Lambie will continue to support the legislation.”

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Labor’s shadow home affairs minister, Kristina Keneally, noted the consensus among medical groups, including the Australian Medical Association, against the Coalition’s proposal to repeal medical evacuation provisions.

“When we’re sick we seek doctors’ advice. What we have here today are 11 of the most significant medical colleges in the country, doctors of every type across Australia saying that their prescription is medevac works,” Keneally told ABC’s Insiders.

“We stand with the doctors in noting that medevac is ensuring that people who are sick are able to get the medical treatment that they need.”

The medevac inquiry, conducted by the legal and constitutional affairs committee, has heard from doctors responsible for health assessments that of 581 people in detention they have audited 97% have significant physical health issues and 91% have serious mental health issues.

Opponents of the repeal include the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the former independent MP Kerryn Phelps, one of the architects of the original bill, and Shaun Hanns, a home affairs departmental official who quit his job in the refugee processing area to argue publicly for an overhaul of Australia’s border protection regime.