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

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. When, and on how many occasions, did he or his office receive warnings about the potential for increased violence on Christmas Island and who provided those warnings?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. I think it is the first question he has actually asked me this week as the shadow minister for immigration, and I thank him for it. As I indicated yesterday to the honourable member for Gippsland, I am aware of two reports in relation to suggestions of violence on Christmas Island—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Perrett interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned!

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was very specific and, as he did yesterday, he is avoiding the question, which asked: when did he or his office receive warnings about the potential for increased violence on Christmas Island and who provided those warnings? When is he going to answer that question?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will respond to the question.

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

The warnings are the two that I have referred to. Clearly, as I have said continuously, I have recognised for some time, since last September, that we needed to reduce pressure on the detention centre at Christmas Island. One of the reasons we needed to reduce the pressure on the detention centre at Christmas Island was the pressure that that created in relation to the management of the detention centre. I have made that clear. That is why I announced the mainland detention centres to relieve the pressure on Christmas Island. I did that in response to advice from my department that the pressure on Christmas Island should be reduced. I have done that, against the opposition of those members opposite, who said that those detention centres were not necessary.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I refer to page 551 of the Practice where, under the heading ‘Answers to questions without notice’, it says:

When a Minister is occasionally unable to provide an immediate substantive answer, he or she may either undertake to supply the Member with the requested information in writing at a later date …

As the minister is unable to provide the answer, perhaps he could follow that.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar will resume her place. I thank her for assisting the rest of the membership of the House by referring to a different page of the Practice today. That is good advice to ministers if they feel they are in that position, but the last part of her point of order to me is her opinion. The minister is responding to the question.

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

As I said, I have responded very clearly to the situation on Christmas Island and have taken steps to reduce the pressure on the Christmas Island detention centre. I have done so in conjunction with the advice from my department that the numbers on Christmas Island would benefit from being reduced in relation to the opening of detention centres on the mainland, which the opposition opposed at every step. I have established an independent, arms-length inquiry, which I invite the honourable member for Cook to make a submission to.