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

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. I refer the minister to his statement to the House yesterday that there has been no assessment in relation to the convicted Egyptian jihadist terrorist asylum claim. How does the minister reconcile that statement with this letter to me where he states, 'The assessment of the protection claim for this individual is being progressed by the department'?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. The reference in the letter goes to three particular persons that I was asked about by the honourable member, and I confirmed by way of letter that there was some progress.

But in relation to the one individual, the one that was raised in question time yesterday, the assessment of that individual had not commenced. So the response in the letter went to three people; the question to me yesterday went to one person. And in relation to that person, his assessment had not commenced.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Reid is not helping himself. The member for Lyons has the call.