Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister Cash, representing the immigration minister. Minister, I refer you to the immigration minister's decision to settle a class action based on the illegal detention and failure of duty of care brought by 1,905 Manus Island detainees—people who have suffered a shocking loss of their freedoms, who have had their families torn apart and who have lost all hope for the future because of decisions taken by you and your government and your Labor predecessors. People have died, been seriously injured, come under machine gun fire and suffered permanent harm because of choices made by the Labor and Liberal Parties. Isn't today's settlement an admission that you are responsible for the ongoing harm of the detainees on Manus Island and Nauru?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): Thank you, Senator McKim, for the question. In response to your question the answer is: no, settlement is in no way any admission at all of liability.

It is opportune, though, given that Senator McKim has given me the opportunity to do this, to remind the Australian people of exactly why today's settlement occurred and the events that actually brought it into play. Senator McKim, let me tell you exactly. When the former Howard government lost office in 2007, do you know how many people there were in detention? Colleagues, would you like to have a guess? Less than a handful, Senator McKim. Do you know what the detention network—

Senator McKim interjecting —

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! A point of order, Senator Hanson?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I am very interested in hearing the answer to this, but I can't hear it with the interjection by Senator McKim.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind all senators, but particularly Senator McKim—you were getting loud—not to interject during the answer. I invite the minister to continue.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was stating, the detention network was costing less than $100 million a year, but as a result of policies that you supported, Senator McKim, when Senator Hanson-Young was the relevant shadow minister—let me assure you that you are responsible for what has occurred leading up to today's settlement. You come in here full of fake rage. You come in here talking about people who have lost their lives. Well, under policies that Senator McKim supported, thousands of people lost their lives. You are directly responsible—through you, Mr President—for thousands and thousands of children risking their lives on boats and ending up behind bars. So please do not come in here with your fake rage and your sense of moral superiority when you yourself and the Australian Greens are responsible for what occurred.

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator McKim on a supplementary question.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, if you are so confident in your absolute fiction that you are not responsible for the illegal detention and failure of duty of care to these men, why did you agree to settle? Is it not the case that you settled because you desperately wanted to keep the horrors and the torture that you are inflicting on our fellow human beings on Manus Island hidden from the Australian people? Is that not why you settled?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the minister, could I advise senators asking questions and the ministers answering questions not to personally direct the questions or the answers to each other. They must be directed to me, not through me but to me. Minister, you have the call.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, in answer to your question, the answer is no. You would not be aware because, quite frankly, I am sure—through you, Mr President—that the Australian Greens could not care less. But the Commonwealth is required by the Legal Services Directions to endeavour 'to avoid, prevent or limit the scope of legal proceedings'. On this side of the chamber, we take responsible action in relation to these matters. But again, Senator McKim referred to facts. Senator McKim, these are the facts—about which you, like an ostrich, buried your head and the Australian Greens heads in the sand—there were four people in detention in 2007 when the Australian Labor Party with the support of the Australian Greens came to office; none of them were children. You are directly responsible because of policies you supported for thousands of deaths and thousands of children in detention. Stop your faux outrage.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim on a final supplementary question.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now that responsibility has been rightly accepted by the government for the people that you are detaining and torturing on Manus Island and Nauru, will you now do the right thing and bring them all—men, women and children that you have illegally detained and failed—here to Australia where we can look after them, and where they can make a positive contribution to our country?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I completely reject almost every single word and the premise of your question, because the Australian government has done the right thing.

Senator McKim interjecting—

We did the right thing when we took office in 2013. How did we do the right thing? We implemented policies to restore security to our borders. We are very proud of that. We will never resile from that.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Senator Hinch.

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on the same point of order as Senator Hanson. This goes on every day in question time. Have an adjournment speech.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hinch. Again, I remind senators not to interject when the minister is giving her answer or when any minister is giving an answer.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, this government has done the right thing. We will continue to do the right thing by the Australian people and we will not be stopped in our efforts to ensure that at all times the No. 1 priority of the Commonwealth government—something, unfortunately, Senator McKim—through you, Mr President—that the Australian Greens could not care less about, the security of the nation and the security of our borders. Any person who comes to this place and does not believe that is not the No. 1 priority of any federal government, quite frankly, should leave.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not want to interrupt the minister on a point of order, but Senator McKim called out to the chamber that this government tolerated the torture of these people. I am a part of this government and I resent that remark. He can either qualify it where I am concerned, or withdraw it on behalf of us all.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is no point of order, Senator O'Sullivan. Senator McKim, there is no point of order, so I do not want to listen to a response.