The federal opposition and Greens have combined to defeat legislation in the Senate to legalises offshore processing of asylum seekers, as expected.
The Senate spent seven and half hours on Thursday debating Independent MP Rob Oakeshott’s private members bill, which passed the lower house late on Wednesday.
The Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012 would allow the government to implement its people-swap deal with Malaysia and permit the reopening of a detention centre on Nauru.
It was defeated 39 votes to 29, as Greens lower house MP Adam Bandt watched on.
A Greens amendment to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake from 13,750 to 20,000 and increase funding to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to bolster processing in Indonesia and Malaysia was also defeated.
Before the vote, Labor’s leader in the Senate Chris Evans took a final swipe at opposition and Greens senators, after Prime Minister Julia Gillard earlier in the day called for the senate to pass the bill.
“Where were you when you had the opportunity to do something,” he said.
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