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Immigration Laws contrary to Howard’s Family Values
November 10th 2004

Democrat MLC, Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, asked the Minister for Community Services, Carmel Tebbutt, if DoCS have made arrangements for the 5 children of Sereanna Naikelkele yesterday in Parliament.

“While the Minister maintained the line that the State government has nothing to do with Villawood detention centre, she did acknowledge that if Sereanna’s appeal to the Minister for Immigration against deportation fails, the Department of Community Services will have a role in arranging alternative care for some or all of her children,” he said. (See Hansard)

“The psychological and behavioural problems associated with such a separation will be devastating for these children. If the worst case scenario happens, and their mother is deported, DoCS will be the primary agency responsible for their care, and I am concerned about the Departments lack of involvement. Of the 107 children in currently in Australian detention centres, 40 are in NSW,” he said.

Dr Chesterfield-Evans has called on the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Amanda Vanstone, to grant Sereanna Naikelkele asylum as proof of the Howard government’s commitment to "the family".

“If John Howard believes in the upholding the value of family, then lets see him intervene to stop a family being torn apart. If John Howard doesn’t take a stand to keep the Naikelkele’s together then we can only assume he is a racist and a hypocrite.” Dr Chesterfield-Evans concluded.