Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison. Would the minister update the Senate on recent developments in law enforcement cooperation between the nations of Australia and Cambodia?

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

I thank Senator Payne, who has taken an active interest in our cooperation with Cambodia. The question is a very important one and Senator Payne has taken a vital interest in this area, particularly in the area of our cooperation with that country in relation to sex trafficking.

This is a timely question in view of the visit by Prime Minister Hun Sen from Cambodia. Today we signed a treaty for the transfer of prisoners between Cambodia and Australia. This is an important agreement between our two countries. As at May this year, there were five Australian prisoners in Cambodia and 13 Cambodian prisoners in Australia.

The prisoner transfer arrangement is a very important one. It is a practical measure which provides for people sentenced in another country to be transferred to their home country to serve out their period of sentence. I think that some people misunderstand the nature of it. It is not a means of reducing a sentence; it is a means of returning a person to their home country to serve out a sentence and also to come under the community supervision of their home country. It is interesting to note that some 85 per cent of transfers have been for prisoners out of Australia. That is quite a significant count, and there are benefits for our prison system in regard to population numbers.

Importantly, in relation to Cambodia, we also announced today a $30 million program over five years for the criminal justice system in Cambodia. It is important that Australia be involved in capacity building in such areas as good governance, human rights and particularly the criminal justice system. We have a close working relationship with the Cambodian government. I refer in particular to the Australian Federal Police, who have set up a transnational crime unit with the Cambodian police. This has had a great deal of success in the fight against illicit drugs and people trafficking, and also for security in the region.

It is fair to say that some of the challenges we face in the region are ones that we cannot deal with alone. Australia does need the cooperation of its neighbours in the South-East Asian region. In relation to Cambodia, we are grateful for the cooperation that we get. There is much work to be done. In the discussion that I had today with my counterpart, the Secretary of State, we agreed that we face common challenges, and both of us made a commitment to continue the close cooperation that we have. The Cambodian government has acknowledged the great work done by the Australian Federal Police not only in cooperation regarding the fight against transnational crime but also in the capacity building that is being carried out.

One of the features of that cooperation is the fight against people trafficking. Unfortunately, that is something which we are detecting in our region. In relation to that, we have had convictions in Australia for sex trafficking and Cambodia, of course, is regarded as a source country. We will continue that fight, and we will continue it with the cooperation of the Cambodian authorities. We look forward to an even closer relationship in that regard. I thank Senator Payne for what was an important question.