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

As I made clear, there were staff from offices present at the meetings where this matter was managed. I also made very clear that responsibility for the management of the issues involved and the authorisation of government actions were made by the relevant ministers: the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Smith; the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr O’Connor; and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, me. That is where the management of these matters lay and that is where the authority of the government came from. Various officials were involved at various stages; various staff attended some of the considerations and advice was sought as appropriate. But the responsibility was through the border protection committee of cabinet, which I chair, and the authorisation for government actions was either through that committee or through the joint effort of the responsible ministers. It was all done in accordance with normal practice.