Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. The minister has released 149 hardcore criminals from immigration detention. The minister on Tuesday stated that 'all individuals in the cohort are being continuously monitored'. Eighteen criminals have been able to commit crimes serious enough to be arrested and charged by state and territory police, while apparently being 'continuously monitored'. Minister, what were those crimes?

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for their question, and I say once more, for his benefit and the benefit of all members of the House: it was the decision of the High Court that required the release—a decision that would have applied to any government, as he well knows. I say also this: because of the strict visa conditions—including reporting requirements, and electronic monitoring for many—the location of every individual in this cohort is known.

I say to those opposite: I want to do everything I can to support our agencies to do their job, to keep communities safe, within the framework—the four layers of protection—we have put in place. I say, as I said earlier, what the Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police said earlier this week in estimates: 'I don't think there is any difficulty in knowing where they are. They're monitored through the mechanism of those clauses which are placed upon them, which are quite restrictive.' On this side of the House, we trust our law enforcement, and we thank them for keeping Australians safe.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has concluded his answer. I give the call to the member for Reid.