Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

My question to the foreign minister relates to the portfolio budget statement at page 25. It refers to the contribution that will come from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade budget and go to efforts to counter people smuggling. I ask the foreign minister in relation to Papua New Guinea: what discussions has the minister had with his Papua New Guinea counterparts regarding the reopening of the Manus Island detention centre?

Has the PNG government or any one of its ministers requested that the Australian foreign minister become directly involved in negotiations or travel to Papua New Guinea to discuss that issue? Does the foreign minister accept the statement by the former PNG Prime Minister that the proposal would be made to work if the foreign minister travelled to PNG and took control of negotiations? I note that in media reports a spokesman for the foreign minister said that he has no plans to travel to PNG in the near future. Why not?

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