Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

In response to the member for Scullin, I have several points. Firstly, the arrangements will be periodically reviewed. My earlier comments did not seek to suggest otherwise. We will periodically review whether the centres are run adequately, appropriately and satisfactorily or otherwise. A lot of it will be determined by what is happening in a general sense. As you would be aware, the composition of those in detention centres has changed dramatically in the last two or three years. A lot of that would not have been foreseen earlier on. Numbers of foreign fishermen now dominate a lot of our detention centres and I think their average detention is around 13 weeks duration. There is a fundamental difference in many of our detention centre requirements compared with those of even two or three years ago. We have just taken a decision to spend serious taxpayer money on the renovation and upgrade of Maribyrnong. You said you have not had the opportunity to see that work.

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