Offshore processing vow amid refugee health push

Sixty students from across Australia and New Zealand have been pitting their debating skills against each other all week negotiating complex international issues such as border disputes in Nicaragua to finding peaceful solutions in the Middle East.

The final round will be held today at the Grand Chancellor Hotel but won’t be open to the public.

Convener Johanna Ellis addressed the importance of the United Nations Security Council debate.

“When countries pledged 73 years ago to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war they were referring to us,” she said.

“We are the new generations, and now we assume that pledge. I think that the skills you will learn at Evatt will equip you for the task and I am excited to see the world you craft 73 years from now.”

The competition is named after former attorney-general and Australia’s only President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.V. Evatt.

Jason MacDonald, 18, and Georgie Koch, 18, of the Northern Territory.

BILL Shorten has vowed not to weaken Australia’s offshore processing of refugees and boat turnbacks despite a move to hasten medical treatment for people on Nauru and Manus Island.

Mr Shorten traded blows with Prime Minister Scott Morrison after federal parliament descended into chaos on its last sitting day of the year when the Government avoided a humiliating defeat by shutting down the House of Representatives before the refugee Bill was sent back, where Labor and the crossbench had the numbers to pass the legislation.

Mr Morrison accused Labor of playing political games instead of caring about the refugees and said the laws would undermine border protection.

Mr Shorten said politicians needed to take the advice of medical professionals, and the proposed laws would have not weakened offshore processing.

“At the end of the day, I do think we should take refugees in this country, but we don’t have a policy that is actually dangerous to people,” Mr Shorten said.

The changes would have allowed critically ill refugees to be flown to Australia for medical treatment on the advice of two doctors, although the Home Affairs Minister could still override the advice on national security grounds.

The Government faces losing the vote on the Bill when parliament returns in February.