One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young have clashed over whether criminals born overseas, who are not Australian citizens, should be allowed to appeal against their sentences.
More than 2800 of those convicted of crimes such as assault, drug trafficking, sex offences and even murder have been deported since December 2014, News Corp reports.
The two senators were asked on the Seven Network’s Sunrise whether they should be allowed to ask the courts to review their case, at a cost to taxpayers.
Senator Hanson initially appeared to conflate the issue with the number of those overstaying their visas, singling out Malaysians.
“We have a racket, a scam that’s going on. Lot of people coming in from Malaysia … it’s the only Asian country they can get a visa online,” she said.
But Senator Hanson-Young, continuing on regarding the deportations, explained the courts should be allowed to do their job without impediments.
Each case should be looked at individually, she added.
“When you look at a number of theses in relation to this, some of these people have been here pretty much all their life,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“A lot of New Zealanders who’ve come here as young children have grown up in this country, educated in this country, and if they’re now committing crimes, in some respects Australia has to take responsibility for that because we educated these people they’ve paid taxes.”
Senator Hanson disagreed, saying Australia should not have to take responsibility.
“I think people need to take responsibility for their own actions and I’m sick and tired of people being in this country who should not be here committing crimes, costing taxpayers thousands if not millions.
“We’re taken as mugs. They come out here, peddle their drugs commit their crimes and yet we still put up with it. No, I’ve had a gutful and so have many Australians.”
Senator Hanson-Young clarified her remark, saying there were different groups of people with different circumstances.
“We don’t have to take responsibility for their crimes - we do have to take responsibility for people who have spent their entire life here.”
Senator Hanson emphasised that these were convicted criminals.
“So let the courts do the jobs,” Senator Hanson-Young replied.
“Thank God it’s not ‘Judge Pauline’ because you’d have no fair system there’d be no appeals, and it would be everybody you don’t like with a mark against them. Thankfully we live in a democracy.”
