WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet |CONTACT
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has taken the time today to explain why the Biloela Tamil family must be deported.
Speaking on the Today show this morning, Dutton explained that despite the fact that the family is much loved in the small regional Queensland community, they aren’t technically refugees, and seeing as they aren’t connected to any of his mates, they can’t stay here.
“Rules are rules,” said Dutton bluntly about, Nadesalingam Murugappan (Nades), mother Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingham (Priya), and their daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa.
Before their forced removal to Melbourne, and then onto the plane to Darwin this morning where mother Priya was reportedly hurt being thrown onto the aircraft, Nades had been working in the local meatworks, a job which plenty of ‘quiet Australian’s’ turn their nose up at.
“None of them are wanted by Interpol, none of them are wealthy Chinese business people or criminals, none of them are good looking young white women who my rich mates want as au pairs, none of them are connected to Liberal donors, and none of them are mates with my mates,” said the frustrated aspiring Prime Minister.
“So the rules apply to them”
“It’s just they way these things are.”
“Look I wish there was something I could do, but until I get a phone call from Gillon McLachlan we are going ahead with deporting them.”
His decision to push ahead with the deportation of the family, which is currently in a final hearing this morning, could be put on hold at any time, as the Minister has the discretionary powers to allow a young family who are wanted by their local community to stay.
“I wish I could do something, but unless I don’t feel like adhering to the rules, I have to follow them,” he said.
“I don’t know why we are still talking about it.”
