Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I have not even got half a sentence out. I am happy to answer the question. Unlike the member for Cook, I actually met the foreign minister and minister for immigration and discussed this matter. I did not meet a public servant and raise this matter. I met with the minister in the PNG government responsible for the transferees, and we—that is, the PNG government and the Australian government—have made very clear that we are still committed to transferring people. That undertaking was provided to me by the foreign minister at a meeting that I held with him in Moresby on the day that I was there. So I would have to suggest that the member for Cook should make certain whether in fact the advice he received is correct or not, because the advice I received directly from the government and from the foreign minister was that we would continue to proceed in the way in which we have, which is notifying the government of PNG when we transfer and having them of course agree to that transfer, as is appropriate.

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