Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I had hoped to move to other matters but, given the minister's previous response, I will have to return to this matter of the convicted terrorist. I accept the minister's invitation issued in the House yesterday to have a briefing. I have written to the minister with my colleagues, the shadow Attorney-General and the shadow minister for Customs and Border Protection, requesting a joint briefing from ASIO, the AFP and DIAC in the one room, at the one time so that the current testimony that is out there can be reconciled amongst these three agencies to what actually went on. I accept from the minister that there will be some aspects of that discussion that obviously should be held in privacy. That is why I recommended to the minister that he conduct an independent inquiry into this on his own terms and that it report to him and the Attorney-General.

Given the statement by the Minister for Home Affairs earlier, who was quite happy to tell this parliament when he was advised of these matters—he gave specific dates about that and the process by which he did that—I do not accept the minister's suggestion that we cannot answer the following questions and somehow these are a breach of national security.

When was the department advised by ASIO and the AFP that there was a convicted terrorist being held at the Inverbrackie facility?

When was this minister advised that a convicted terrorist was being held at the Inverbrackie facility? And when was the previous minister advised by the department that a convicted terrorist was being held at the Inverbrackie facility? Did this minister advise the Prime Minister after he became aware that a convicted terrorist was being held at the Inverbrackie detention facility?

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