[Greens-Media] Department pays nearly $1,000,000 in compensation for mistakes, but refuses Vivian Solon $100 per day to live

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

17.08.05

Immigration Department pays nearly $1,000,000 in compensation for
mistakes, but refuses 
Vivian Solon $100 per day to live.



Greens Senator Kerry Nettle today accused the federal government of
being mean and tricky in its dealings with wrongly deported citizen
Vivian Solon  refusing to give her a $100 a day living allowance when
they have paid nearly one million dollars in compensation to others for
previous mistakes.

"The government is happy to pay top dollar to their consultants and even
fork out to quietly settle cases of wrongful detention but are unwilling
to pay for their mistakes regarding Vivian Solon," Senator Nettle said.

"Ms Solon's lawyers have told me that their reasonable requests to have
a living allowance of $100 a day paid to Vivian on her return to
Australia have been refused. 

"The Minister gets paid over $100 an hour but considers $100 a day too
much for Ms Solon.

"The government's stubborn refusal seems unnecessarily harsh when you
consider their willingness to pay $2500 a day to Mr Commrie to look into
her case, and to pay $0.92 million in compensation settlements in other
cases.

"In past two years the department has already paid $0.92million in
compensation for 11 cases of wrongful detention only one of which has
been made public. It appears that the government is willing to pay for
confidentiality but not for a fair go for Vivian.

"Compensation is clearly something to which Ms Solon is entitled but
before this can be arranged reasonable steps must be taken to bring her
home and make good the error of her wrongful deportation and the
government is refusing to take those steps.

"Ms Solon has agreed to avoid costly legal proceedings and instead
settle her dispute with the government through mediation and
arbitration, but in a decision that can only be construed as
unreasonably mean the government is refusing to submit to arbitration."

Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146