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

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Will the government pursue its Migration Legislation Amendment (Offshore Processing and Other Measures) Bill to a vote in the other place today?

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

Thank you—

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Come on, 'Matedious'. We have got until Thursday. We have heard enough from you this week.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Evans! You need to refer to senators by their correct title.

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

As Leader of the Government in the Senate I have many and varied responsibilities, and that includes working with the Manager of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Ludwig, in the management of this chamber and the business of the chamber. I congratulate him on the great job he did yesterday in ensuring the proper management of the chamber.

One of the things I am grateful for is that I am not responsible for management of the House of Representatives. As to how they have organised their business today, I am afraid I am not in a position to advise you. Unlike many others, I do not tune in to the House of Representatives television coverage all that much. I focus much more intently on the important role that the Senate plays. I find the debate to be more interesting and stimulating and the contributions to be of a much higher order. So I cannot assist the senator with an update on what is occurring with the management of business in the House of Representatives. But, if he is interested, I will see if I can get Minister Albanese to give him a call or to inform the Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne. If he seriously wants me to find out for him, I am happy to. But, as he would understand, I am not responsible for managing the business in the House of Representatives.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the government's incapacity to commit, can the minister advise what the government's current border protection policy is? Is it: to rewind further the proven Howard solution; the East Timor solution; the Malaysian solution; or none of the above?

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

The government remains committed to a fair and orderly immigration system. That includes the management of unauthorised arrivals. It has been this government's very strong intention to try to get an arrangement in place with Malaysia which allows for the return of unauthorised boat arrivals to Malaysia for processing there. The agreement we struck with the Malaysian government was, we thought, the best way of discouraging people who were seeking asylum in a country of first asylum from seeking to move again. We sought to negotiate that arrangement with Malaysia within the broader framework of the Bali process and the regional responses which we know are essential to finding long-term solutions to movement within the region.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given one of the fundamental tasks of any government is to ensure border security for its nation, what is the government's plan to provide border protection for Australia?

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

We as a government have increased the resources available to border protection agencies and take the protection of our borders very seriously. That is why any unauthorised arrivals are intercepted and detained by our border protection services. They have been very successful at providing that service.

We also understand that, in terms of unauthorised movement through the region, we need to work with our neighbours. I am pleased to say that the minister informed me yesterday—I had not seen press coverage of it—that the Indonesian government recently successfully prosecuted an Indonesian national for the new offence of people smuggling in that country. That is a really encouraging development. They passed legislation making people smuggling unlawful and they have had a successful prosecution of an Indonesian national. That is a very important development in the ongoing regional response— (Time expired)