Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The former minister, like Banquo’s ghost, is still in the chamber wanting to have an argument that he should have had when he was the minister. Clearly, this matter is of such importance to the government that we will continue to do what we think is right and we will continue to maintain what I think is a tough but humane policy. I believe it is therefore important that, for example, we continue to increase our resources to ensure that we have effective maritime surveillance and increase our resources to ensure that we have aviation surveillance as well so that we can detect any vessels that seek to come into our territorial waters. We have done just that. In every circumstance we have managed to take those vessels to Christmas Island, as the former minister would know. But what the former minister could never explain was this: if, as the previous government liked to assert, they had stopped asylum seekers coming to this country once and for all, why did they build a detention centre on Christmas Island well after 2001? They did so because they knew then what they know now: there will be from time to time an increase in the likelihood of people seeking to come to First World countries. We will therefore continue to work through these matters with our neighbours in the region, the UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration, other international agencies and authorities in the region to do just that, to focus on dismantling criminal syndicates while at the same time ensuring that we provide opportunities for people seeking asylum. I believe you can do both things at once. Some like to assert you cannot.

It is politically irresponsible and indeed immoral to attempt to deliberately blur the line between victims and culprits. I know some seek to do that, but this government believes we can delineate in almost every circumstance as to the differences between those that are genuinely seeking asylum and those that are seeking to exploit those people that are doing so. We have seen the recent figures, with Europe remaining the primary destination for asylum seekers with 333,000 claims registered last year, predominantly in France, with 35,400 for the United Kingdom and 30,300 for Italy. It is also the case that the United States received 49,600 new asylum claims and Canada received 34,800. For South Africa it was an extraordinary number of 207,000 new claims by asylum seekers. In that same period Australia had 4,750 people seeking asylum. So, whilst we accept this is a challenge for Australia, we have to place it in the context that all comparable countries are dealing with this matter and to that extent we are dealing with an issue of a much smaller scale. Nonetheless, it is a very important one to this country and this government, so we will continue to work our way through those things.

It was interesting to see the Leader of the Opposition build up for a censure motion today but squib it. There is no doubt that the reason why he failed to proceed to move a censure motion was it would probably be a good thing, if you were going to have a censure motion against a minister or indeed the Prime Minister of this country, to have some evidence. There is no doubt that in the past the Leader of the Opposition has already shown himself to be unable to distinguish between his own fantasies and fact in relation to a forged email that he sought to use against the Prime Minister and this government in such an irresponsible way. On this occasion he has failed to move his censure motion, because in the end the efforts of the Leader of the Opposition to suggest for one moment that this government is not acting consistently are wrong. The fact is the Leader of the Opposition is wrong in asserting that we have acted in any other way than to be consistent with our obligations internationally and consistent in terms of the way in which we deal with other authorities in other countries and also with international agencies such as the UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration. That is the reality.

In terms of the Oceanic Viking, it is very important to put on the record the context in which this matter occurred and remind members that this commenced when there were distress signals from a vessel in some trouble in the Indonesian search and rescue zone. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority received that information, as did the Indonesian authority. As it was in the Indonesian search and rescue zone, the Indonesian authority was the lead and coordinating agency and sought our assistance. Pursuant to international maritime law and pursuant to the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, HMAS Armidale, followed shortly after by the Oceanic Viking, went to the assistance of that vessel. What was the alternative? What else would we have done other than go to the rescue of that vessel? What would have been the potential cost if we had not? The potential cost would have been the loss of 78 lives, five of whom are women and five of whom are children. That is something that this government would not contemplate and nor should any government of this country.

What then occurred? The Indonesian authority, as lead agency in this search and rescue mission, sought us to take the rescued people to a safe port. Indeed, there had been discussions between the two governments in relation to where the vessel would go, based on humanitarian grounds, and that is where we sought to take it. We are now looking at working through these issues with the remaining passengers on the vessel. We have been working through these matters in order to realise the agreement struck between our two countries. We will continue to do so in a manner that reflects our views on these issues. Of course, we are aware that some of these passengers are mandated refugees; we are aware that those matters cannot be properly processed until they disembark the vessel. We are happy with the fact that a significant group has disembarked. We will continue to work with the passengers and the Indonesian authorities at Tanjung Pinang in order to ensure the finalisation of the agreement that was struck some time ago. That is the responsible thing to do.

The government will not panic. The government will not respond to the hysteria that has been drummed up by the opposition. The government will continue to maintain its consistent approach. We refuse to accept the lowest common denominator. We refuse to respond to the rank opportunism of the Leader of the Opposition in attempting to not only smear the department and its advice but also create fear amongst our community. We have had enough of that in this country. We have had enough of the efforts by leaders in our community, and indeed the previous government, who seek to exploit the fear amongst our community in a way in which I believe we should be collectively ashamed. Therefore, the government will stay the course and ensure that those passengers disembark that vessel in accordance with the agreement between Indonesia and Australia. It is the right thing to do. This will occur. We will continue to dedicate every effort we can to ensure we realise this agreement as soon as practicable.

This matter is a global issue. It is a regional issue needing global and regional responses. That is why we will continue to work very closely with our friends in the region in order to, on one hand, be very tough on people smugglers who seek to exploit people and, at the same time, ensure order wherever possible for people who are seeking asylum after being persecuted and going through very difficult times. (Time expired)

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