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

The senator is dripping with insincerity. What I can confirm for the senator, who formerly had a reputation for balance and liberal views, is that this government places children in alternative places of detention with their family members. We do not put them into detention centres, as the previous government used to. We do not intend packing them off to some remote South Pacific island, as is now the coalition’s policy. Your intention, as I understand it, is to take children and put them into detention centres on islands in third countries. So don’t come in here and try to pretend you have any compassion. You want to bring back the Pacific solution and bring back temporary protection visas, which ensured families were separated for up to five years. So you have no credentials in this debate. There is no sincerity but, rather, very cheap politics behind this question. (Time expired)