Malcolm Turnbull's negligence - did he really think this deal would ever work under Trump?

The world's current political chaos highlights the need for the simple, dignified solution of bringing refugees to Australia.

This afternoon, US President, Donald Trump, appeared to say the deal to take refugees from Manus Island and Nauru was off – though as with everything to do with such a capricious leader, it is not clear whether this is his final decision or not. At the same time the Nauru government also released a media statement stating they believed “Dee” would be safe to have her baby on Nauru and there was no need for her to be medically evacuated. 

The Australian government’s use of refugees and asylum seekers as some kind of tradeable product has come to its humiliating finish with now the entire world as witness. Though surprisingly, it was Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that wore that humiliation as he saw his obsequious positioning in dealing with the bully boy, Trump, come to a very public nothing.

The chaos that is now the hallmark of Peter Dutton’s treatment of refugees was also revealed today when the Nauru government rejected Peter Dutton’s calls to bring “Dee” to Australia. Her powerlessness as a woman was made clear when the men in power decided she would be made to take the risk of delivering her first baby – with all her complications – in a hospital without the most basic technology available in Australian hospitals.

“Australians have paid the Nauru government billions and billions of dollars to run these centres,” said Julie Macken from Australian Women in Support of Women on Nauru. “That has not stopped people dying due to medical negligence. If anything goes wrong for “Dee” during her labour, the result could be devastating. We shall hold her doctor and the Nauru government responsible for that.

“The fact that Nauru has told Minister Dutton he has no say in this woman’s welfare, demonstrates the terrible state of affairs between the Australian and Nauru governments. Despite billions of dollars being spent on these camps it is clear the relationship between the two counties has broken down.

“From the outset, it was abundantly clear the refugee deal would be a failure with Trump as President. This deal was always fraught and would never have worked, showing huge negligence and on Prime Minister Turnbull’s part, as well as a tremendous failure in his duty of care to refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus.

“Unsurprisingly, the US President is not going to save either the refugees held in Australia’s off-shore camps, or the Turnbull government. It is time for Prime Minister Turnbull to exercise some common sense and bring the refugees on Nauru and Manus Island to Australia.

“Dee must be given the choice of a safe place to have her baby, anything less is political game playing that could cost lives.”

We will update you as this situation progresses.

For the women and children on Nauru, and for all whom are displaced in the world and searching desperately for safety.