Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

If you actually listen, you will follow it. There was agreement between the Australian government and the Indonesian government on how those who disembarked from the Oceanic Viking would be handled. That arrangement was codified, it was shown to those on board the vessel and, as you know, it was made publicly available, with the Prime Minister tabling it in the parliament.

With reference to the specific question, the management of these events has been with the border protection committee of cabinet, which is chaired by me. There have been meetings of that committee and there have been meetings involving the lead ministers and staff in managing these matters. The meetings have obviously been frequent and that group was responsible for finalising the details of the arrangements to be put in place. There were, at various times, staff from the Prime Minister’s office at meetings of the border protection committee and with ministers as we finalised those details, but principally the lead was provided by me and my department on immigration processes and by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Smith, in relation to negotiations with the Indonesian government about arrangements in Indonesia. So we have processed the Australian government’s response in that way and that is continuing at the moment. (Time expired)