Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

): I want to ask the Minister for Home Affairs about the process of issuing media releases and informing the Australian public about illegal boat arrivals.

My colleague in the other place Senator Abetz asked some questions about this during the estimates process and we did get some very comprehensive information back from the government. That information told us that Customs reports a boat arrival to the minister's office within about six hours, on average, and that the average time it took the minister's office to issue a publicity release was just over 15 hours—about double that time.

I want the minister to inform the House about how this process works. Has Customs ever formally requested that the minister's office not issue a public media release until the boat has been intercepted, or is it up to the minister's office as to when this release is issued?

According to information that we have been provided with, there have been at least 10 instances where there was a delay of two to four days before informing the public about a boat arrival. I want an explanation as to why that would happen.

I also want him to explain the process of issuing of a media release in relation to the detection of illegal boat arrivals: Once detected, who informs the minister's office? Who is notified? What is the chain of communication and, ultimately, who gives final approval for the release? Is it the minister who gives this final approval?

See this speech in context