Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ludwig, the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. I refer the minister to an incident that occurred in the wheatbelt town of Northam yesterday in which police officers from Perth were deployed to assist local officers in Northam to bring the fighting under control. I also refer to the fact that the government has stated that it will not be basing Australian Federal Police in Northam to police the new Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre, leaving local police, whose resources are already stretched to capacity, to respond to any emergencies that may arise. Given that Northam is approximately 100 kilometres from Perth, what guarantees can the government give to the people of Northam that their safety will not be compromised in the event that detainees at the detention centre engage in riots similar to those engaged in at other detention centres around Australia and local police do not have the capacity to deal with such a disturbance?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These matters are always taken very serious­ly. The government remains committed to ensuring greater clarity around the command structures and the roles and responsibilities of the department, detention centre service providers, Australian Federal Police and state and territory law enforcement agencies. Why? Because the Department of Immigra­tion and Citizenship is working with the Australian Federal Police and all state and territory law enforcement agencies to ensure appropriate policing responses are provided throughout the detention network. So it is not only limited to particular incidents. I note that the senator has isolated one incident, but it is dealt with on a broader scale than that. This will be facilitated through a memoran­dum of understanding currently under development. The decision to develop an MOU was made before these issues came to prominence in the Villawood riots in April 2011. As a result, the department is actively progressing the MOU as a matter of priority with state and territory law enforcement agencies. Once finalised, the MOU will address issues concerning jurisdictional responsibilities and implement specific protocols for the responsibilities of the various state and territory police forces and the Australian Federal Police. Discussions to progress an MOU between DIAC and the various state and federal police services—but specifically New South Wales—are ongoing. There are interim measures— (Time expired)

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that the Yongah Hill detention centre at Northam will house 600 single adult male detainees, what security measures have been put in place to ensure we do not see riots like those that occurred at other detention centres around Australia, including Christmas Island, Villawood, Sherger, Curtin and Northern detention centres to name but a few?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In respect of the detention policy of this government, while the government believes mandatory detention is essential, our border protection processes also include health, security and identity checks. We are, of course, concerned about the health and welfare of people in immigration detention. Like those opposite, and like refugee advocates and others, we want to see people remain in detention for as little time as possible. And while they are in those detention centres—

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order in relation to relevance. While I appreciate that the minister is only new to this portfolio, my question was not in relation to mandatory detention itself; it was in relation to the Northam detention centre specifically. I would ask you to ask the minister to be directly relevant to the question.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, there is no point of order. The question was broader than just the Northam detention centre. Minister Ludwig is being directly relevant and should be allowed to continue.

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

There is no point of order.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is important is that there are protocols in place to deal with incidents that arise in detention centres. These are matters on which the Australian Federal Police are developing an MOU with the states and territories to ensure that there are appropriate responses to issues that arise. Those discussions focus on protocol relating to incidents of handover— (Time expired)

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to the DIAC website page for the Yongah Hill detention centre, which states:

The department and IHMS will work with the local hospital, ambulance service and state government to ensure that the department's operations do not affect access to health services for the local community.

Given that this centre will soon open, can the minister please advise what work and consultation has been undertaken by the government with the local hospital and ambulance service at Northam to 'ensure the department's operations do not affect access to health services for the local community'?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With that further supplementary question, clearly we have now moved from incidents in detention centres to a much broader subject. I will seek Minister Bowen's input in relation to this but, at the hazard of having to correct the record, I am positive that all of those issues, particularly those about ensuring the health and welfare of persons in immigration detention, are managed in an appropriate way within the detention centre and do not impact adversely on the community at large. In fact, in many instances the community at large obtains employment and other opportunities because of the detention centre. The relationship between the detention centre and the community is one that DIAC would take very seriously and look at carefully to ensure that there were no adverse impacts within the local community. If I am wrong about that—which is what is being— (Time expired)