Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Minister, who is the person on Manus Island in charge of the detention facility? Prior to the death of Mr Reza Berati, how often did the minister speak to that person, when did the minister first speak to that person after the death of Mr Berati and how often has the minister spoken to that person since?

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

The operations manager is an appointee of the chief migration officer of the Papua New Guinean government, Mr Rabura. I first met the operations manager when I visited the centre when I was in opposition. I met him personally when I was visiting that centre in September last year. Officers in my department regularly engage with that operations manager and I maintain that contact through the department, as I do with Mr Rabura.

The member raises an important question about the jurisdictional issues regarding this centre. This centre is run by the government of Papua New Guinea. The Australian government supports the government of Papua New Guinea in running that centre through the arrangements which were established under the former government and we work within those arrangements.