Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to standing order, I ask Minister Carr, representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, for an explanation as to why answers have not been provided to questions on notice Nos 673 and 674, asked on 30 May this year.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Abetz, and thank you for the advice that you were going to ask this question. I have sought information from the relevant department. The answer I have been given is that the questions posed by the senator seek information regarding a significant number of complex and sensitive issues, the details of which are contained within narrative reporting prepared by officers of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship detention service provider.

The questions were asked by the senator on 30 May. Question No. 673 related to contraband and weapons in immigration detention centres since 1 January 2008. Question No. 674 related to incidents of violence in immigration detention centres since 1 January 2008. In order to provide accurate responses to these questions, departmental officials are closely and diligently examining all situation reports going back to 1 January 2008. These situation reports are produced after each relevant incident and cover details of major, minor and critical incidents. Departmental staff are required to examine each and every single one of these reports with appropriate care so as to ensure that the Senate receives an accurate answer. Responses will require careful checking to ensure that all information provided is accurate, current and addresses the matters raised.

I have been assured that the department is putting in a significant effort to provide the responses as soon as possible. The Senate should note that these questions on notice are in addition to almost 800 questions taken on notice from the budget estimates in May of this year, and many of the questions asked at the Senate estimates sought detailed information on a significant number of complex and sensitive issues. These questions represent a significant burden on the resources of the department. The department, I am assured, is committed to providing responses to parliamentary questions on notice and is putting a significant effort into providing responses as quickly as possible, and all endeavours will continue in this regard.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the minister's explanation.

I will not delay the Senate for long, but, as the minister himself indicated, these questions were asked on 30 May 2011. I then wrote to the minister on 19 July and again on 1 September 2011, and on each occasion those written inquiries did not even elicit a letter in response.

If we are to believe that which the minister has just told the Senate, one has to ask: why was it not possible for the minister or the department to advise me of that when written requests were made for an explanation as to the delay? I thought it somewhat ironic that it is this minister in particular who should raise the argument of burden on resources, given the number of questions that he used to place on notice when he was in opposition.

The questions, with respect, are not that complex. One of the questions was: What measures and/or procedures are in place to prevent contraband or weapons being brought into detention centres? I would have thought that that would be a written document or something that could be responded to immediately. Here we are, waiting month after month and the government cannot even respond to such a most basic of questions. We also had incidents of violence being asked about in question 674. If there is so much information that needs to be gleaned, it would seem that we have a great multiplicity of incidences involving violence, which, of course, is a matter of concern.

I will not delay the Senate any further other than to indicate that if we are to accept these ministerial explanations without even being given an end-time as to when we might have an answer, it would be appropriate for the minister and the government to treat the Senate with respect and respond to the written requests, which I made on two occasions before finally raising it in the chamber.

Question agreed to.