The decision to allow the Tamil family to reunite in Perth will not set a precedent for refugees wanting to stay in the country, says Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite. “This isn’t going to set a precedent because the way that section of the migration act works is it doesn’t set a precedent that the ultimate discretion is with the minister,” he said. He said "most people wouldn't understand" the immigration minister looks at these types of cases “on a regular basis”. “The minister uses the guidelines that are set in place, and they look at things like contribution to Australian society, the convention on the rights of the child and then they make a decision. “In Biloela, where this family have been living, they’ve been contributing to the community.”