After Labor and the Coalition voted together to bring the bill on, Cash said the government are “finally” doing what the opposition leader had demanded, to allow “law enforcement agencies to lock up high risk individuals who have been roaming free”.
Cash revealed the Coalition will move a “modest” amendment requiring the minister to “report to parliament every time one of these dangerous individuals is released into the community”.
The amendment was voted down, but the Coalition and Labor combined to pass the bill shortly after 6:30pm. It will go to the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Earlier, the Greens senator, Nick McKim, accused the major parties of “a race to the bottom” to demonise refugees, with “xenophobic” legislation that “only applies to foreigners”.