The latest legal chapter in the case of a Tamil family, held in detention on Christmas Island, is due to be heard in a Melbourne court today.
Nadesalingam Murugappan, Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam, and their Australian-born daughters remain in detention as the federal government resists calls not to deport their family to Sri Lanka.
The Federal Nationals MP for the town of Biloela, Ken O'Dowd said that the ongoing uncertainty is "tearing the community apart"