David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The opportunism displayed in this chamber by the opposition is breathtaking. None of these matters would have come to light, none of these cases or indeed the questions asked of the minister for immigration this afternoon in question time would have been possible, had it not been for the action by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to undertake the hard work of confronting a problem within the department. The bouquets go to her. She is the one who has done the right thing.

Extensive departmental restructuring has taken place under the direction of this minister. There have been extensive departmental management changes under this minister. Improved protocols and detailed procedures have been instituted by this minister. She called for the Palmer inquiry and the Comrie report. These are the things that have been undertaken by this minister. May I say that it would be very difficult to find a more dedicated and successful minister. There has been absolutely no prevarication with respect to the problems surrounding Vivian Solon and Cornelia Rau. The government has been upset by and has taken full responsibility for these matters. That stands in stark contrast to what the Labor Party would do in similar circumstances, and I will come to that a little later. It is in absolutely stark contrast.

When Vivian Solon’s position was known, the minister responded and sought a whole-of-government response. She was provided with a support package almost immediately following the Comrie report. A Centrelink assistance officer was taken to the Philippines and put at her disposal. She had free medical and health care, including private services if required, for as long as she required. She had carer support for up to 24 hours a day for as long as required. She had health-related aid and transport to health services as long as required. There was a compassionate, responsive action by the government to do the right thing for this lady, who obviously had her rights transgressed. Other assistance included a $25,000 interim lump sum resettlement package, and free accommodation and transport. These were the things that the government undertook to do as soon as this matter became known.

This minister has been proactive. She called for the reviews that have elicited these 23 cases. But let us just look at a contrast. The minister for immigration, Senator Vanstone, has, at every turn, sought to do the right thing. But let us go back to the 10 Cambodian refugees or asylum seekers who were illegally detained. What did Labor do to address that problem, that scandal? Did they pay compensation promptly? Did they evaluate the rights that had been abused and transgressed of those 10 individuals? No. They legislated to restrict the compensation payable to $1 a day. That is what inmates at state prisons get—a dollar a day.

This was the great human rights touting, public spirited Labor Party at its best! And here they are today, lecturing us in a way that is utterly hypocritical—with the greatest of respect to my learned colleagues across the chamber. Taking people’s rights away and then legislating so you cannot be brought to account is the worst form of ‘good governance’ one could imagine. It does not happen in Cuba, it does not happen in China, but it happens in Australia when the Labor Party have their hands on the chequebook.

That is one of the most classic abuses of parliamentary majority one could imagine. The rights of 10 people were abused, in stark contrast to what has happened to Vivian Solon. The Labor Party sought to obliterate the rights of those people and to abuse their own parliamentary majority and legislate themselves security by squashing and quashing any opportunity for compensation. There is the hypocrisy of what went on under Labor in similar, comparable circumstances. They put aside the human rights of those 10 people and have the audacity to talk about the culture of denial.

There is nothing in these 23 cases that does anything other than indicate that this minister, at every turn of the corner, has done the right thing. (Time expired)