Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Hansard source

I can say there have been 16 visits to Mr Hicks by consular officials and/or Australian officials. I do not see that there is any difference in that. If Senator Faulkner thinks that Australian authorities are in the business of subjugating Australian citizens, he ought to apologise to them, because I can say right now that, in anything that our agencies are involved in, they look to the interests of Australian citizens as well as the task they have at hand. To indicate that a consular visit is in some way different to a visit from someone from an Australian authority is by implication saying that they are not fulfilling the same standard of duty that a consular visit would. I totally reject that, and he should be ashamed of himself.

Let us get back to the issue at hand. Mr Hicks is not in solitary confinement. We have been monitoring his welfare closely. When he was last visited on 8 June he was found to be in good spirits and well. We will continue to monitor his position. We will continue to represent to the United States government that this should come on as soon as possible. But you have to remember that it is legal proceedings in the United States that are preventing the military commission from taking the proceedings before it. That application was brought by others in Guantanamo Bay. (Time expired)