Bali Nine members could soon return to Australia

Nearly 20 years after their arrest in Indonesia, the remaining members of the Bali Nine drug-smuggling group may soon return to Australia to serve the rest of their sentences.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reportedly discussed the deal with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during last week’s APEC Summit in Peru.

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On Tuesday morning’s episode of The Briefing, we sit down with Bishop Tim Harris, a long-time advocate for the release of the Bali Nine, to discuss why he thinks it is time for the remaining members to return home.

The Bali Nine were caught in 2005 attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Bali. 

Two ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015. 

While Renae Lawrence returned to Australia after her release in 2018, five members remain incarcerated in Indonesia, serving life sentences.

“I think the time has come. I mean, 20 years incarcerated in a foreign country…There’s only so many times you can use a sledgehammer to crack a nut,” Mr Harris said.

Indonesian officials have framed the proposed deal as a humanitarian move, with the prisoners to remain behind bars in Australian facilities. 

Mr Harris, who has worked closely with the prisoners and their families, has called on the government to repatriate the remaining members.

“To put things right back in your home country…I think surrounded by their family and friends here in Australia, I think they’ve got a better chance of the transition they need to make than they would remaining where they are,” he added.

However, critics, including Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, have questioned the arrangement’s costs and implications.

“Let’s be clear, in the first instance, these individuals, Australians, were part of a heroin-smuggling ring to bring back into Australia, in excess of eight kilos of heroin,” Ms Cash told Sky News on Sunday.

Ms Cash has urged the prime minister to clarify how the deal was negotiated, and whether it would involve taxpayer costs.

While the government has not disclosed further details about the repatriation, Ms Harris remains hopeful.

“I’ve never condoned what they’ve done. I still don’t. But is there an opportunity for a change in their lives and the change in the lives of their family? I think it’s worth that kind of investment to say at this stage after 20 years.”

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