Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, with effect from 1 April 2014, for inquiry and report by 26 June 2014:

An inquiry into the incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014, with particular reference to:

(a) the chronology of events;

(b) the sequence of events and factors that gave cause to the incident;

(c) the sequence of events that led to, and the cause of, Reza Berati's death;

(d) contractor, subcontractor and service provider involvement and response;

(e) Department of Immigration and Border Protection involvement and response;

(f) Papua New Guinean police, military and civilian involvement and response;

(g) the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection's conduct before, during and after the incident;

(h) protocols and procedures observed by agencies in the detention centre;

(i) any documents, including incident reports and emails as well as briefings involving staff, employees, contractors and subcontractors involved in or responding to the incident;

(j) any communications between the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and the Government of Papua New Guinea, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, contractors, sub contractors and service providers regarding the incident;

(k) the Australian Government's duty of care obligations and responsibilities;

(l) refugee status determination processing and resettlement arrangements in Papua New Guinea; and

(m) any other related matters.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not believe a further inquiry is necessary. We are confident that the existing inquiries, in partnership with the government of Papua New Guinea, will get to the bottom of these matters. The current inquiries are entirely consistent with similar events that occurred under the previous government.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a 30-second statement.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for 30 seconds.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is another reference to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, of which I am a member. We have an enormous workload. Quite frankly, I do not know how the committee is going to find time to do this. I have to say, with the utmost respect to Senator Hanson-Young—and I know we are all busy—that she has got the committee to meet in Melbourne on a couple of occasions and then has not turned up. I know senators are busy, but we have all these references, and then the senators involved in them do not front. (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Hanson-Young be agreed to.

Question agreed to.