Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Durack for his maiden question as the member for Durack. I am pleased that this is the first question that I will have answered as the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the first time as the member for McMahon.

The proposition put by the opposition is that there was a secret plan to extend detention centres on the mainland of Australia. There is one little problem with that equation as it was in the budget and in the additional estimates to the budget. You can imagine the conversation around the cabinet table, ‘We have a secret plan to extend detention centres. Where will we hide it? I know. We will put it in the additional estimates to the budget—the Liberals will never look there.’ But the shadow minister for immigration was right on to it! You have to get up pretty early in the afternoon to get one past him!

He issued a press release on 15 July pointing out that the government had made provision to extend detention centres in Australia. On 17 September I announced plans to deal with the short-term pressures on our detention centres. I also said I would be making further statements about the long-term pressures on detention centres in Australia, and that budget allocation remains available for that expenditure when I make that announcement and when I have completed the review. It is good to see the shadow minister for immigration is right on the case yet again.

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