BATHURST’S NGUYEN FAMILY CASE RAISED IN PARLIAMENT’S QUESTION TIME

The fight to keep the Nguyen family in Bathurst and Australia continued today, with Independent Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee asking Tony Burke, the Minister for Immigration and Home Affairs for his support in Question Time.

Independent Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee said: “Upon receiving legal advice, and with the support of kind-hearted community members, the Nguyen family have discontinued their Federal Court appeal with respect to their visa knock-backs.

Their campaign to stay in Bathurst and Australia has now entered its final and decisive phase with the family lodging an application for Ministerial Intervention with Minister Burke’s office on Thursday morning.

In Question Time I therefore took the opportunity to bring to the Minister’s attention the plight of the family and their application to remain in Australia by asking him whether he would support the family’s application to stay.

Even though the formal application for Ministerial Intervention only landed on his desk this morning, I still felt it was important to draw his attention, and that of the Parliament, to the family’s very worrying situation.

Raising this issue in Question Time is a significant step in the campaign to allow the family to stay in Bathurst. The family has made an enormous contribution to the area, and I’m right behind their efforts. We want them to continue to make a wonderful contribution to our region and country.

I thought it was very positive that the Minister said that he was aware of the case and that their visas being refused was not their fault. I also thought it was positive that the Minister showed a willingness to work with me on the issue and that it would be escalated to Ministerial or Assistant Ministerial level. It’s a very good start.

The Minister can grant the family visas if he deems it in the public interest to do so. He now has the family’s formal application for his intervention and my letter supporting them. I believe the Nguyen’s case is highly meritorious and I will be continuing the fight to allow them to stay in Australia.

I will keep the community posted on developments as this campaign continues.

ENDS

Media contact: Kathleen Hewitt, 0482 942 089