Covid-19: International Travel

The same number of senators voted for and against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Anne Urquhart (Labor), which means it failed.

Motion text

That—

(1) The Senate notes that the Prime Minister has made a commitment to the Australian public to ensure that stranded Australians will be home to celebrate Christmas with their families and loved ones, and that regular and timely information should be reported to the Senate and the Australian people to provide oversight and transparency on activities relating to the work to bring stranded Australians home.

(2) There be laid on the table by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, by not later than 7 days after, the Saturday of each calendar week until 31 January 2021, a weekly update which must include:

(a) the total number of stranded Australians that returned to Australia during the identified week;

(b) the total number of stranded Australians that remain overseas, along with the total number per country in which they are stranded and broken down by;

(i) age,

(ii) gender, and

(iii) Australian state or territory of usual residence;

(c) the total number of non-Australian citizens that entered Australia during the identified week broken down by visa class and nationality.

(3) In respect of paragraphs (2)(a) and (b), the update must include a weekly and cumulative total and separate total for the number of at-risk Australians.

(4) For the purposes of the update, stranded Australians, means Australian citizens registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who are wishing to return home.

(5) If the Senate is not sitting when a weekly update is ready for presentation, the statement is to be presented to the President under standing order 166.