David Pocock says offshore asylum seekers ‘victims of our collective political failure’ as evacuation bill defeated

Independent’s comments made in support of proposal to bring to Australia 150 refugees and asylum seekers held in PNG and Nauru

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Independent senator David Pocock has spoken out against the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, arguing that for two decades Australia had denied them basic humanitarian rights.

Pocock, who made the comments in support of a proposed law to bring to Australia about 150 refugees and asylum seekers held offshore, said those remaining on Nauru and in Papua New Guinea were “victims of our collective political failure”.

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