Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, we have ensured that the person has been detained at all times. That was the advice I received from my department. The department continues to work with the Australian Federal Police and ASIO to ensure that our people are kept safe. It would be absolutely outrageously misleading for the honourable member to suggest otherwise.

Further to that, we do not want to reflect on the hardworking men and women of our agencies. They do a wonderful job. This question insinuates that somehow those agencies failed us. They did not fail us. For that reason the honourable member should rethink what he wants to be putting to me in question time if he is suggesting and impugning the good name of our agencies.

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