Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I take that interjection. You finished with at least 31 seconds to go. You could not stand up and give us five minutes of why you believe the position you have taken. Let me just reiterate for the record, as I understand we have done a number of times in this place, that this government still has a policy of excision. This policy has not been changed from the last government to this government—that is, we still excise islands and people who are seeking to arrive here and claim refugee status are taken to Christmas Island. That policy has not changed. We also have a policy of mandatory detention. Once they are taken to Christmas Island, they are mandatorily detained for health, security and identity checks. That policy has not changed. They are processed offshore at Christmas Island. That is also a policy that has not changed. We maintain a very strong anti-people-smuggling stance. People who are seeking to enter this country by refugee status, if they are coming here by boat, can expect to be detained on Christmas Island as part of our excision policy, our mandatory detention policy and our processing offshore policy.

All irregular maritime arrivals are transferred to Christmas Island and, as I said, they are subject to mandatory detention, simply because that is a way in which we can manage health, security and identity checks. We know there is a range of facilities on Christmas Island. The most amazing facility on Christmas Island was that constructed under the Howard government at a cost of over $440 million. It caters for diverse groups. I have been there myself and have had a tour of that centre a number of times now. Family groups and unaccompanied minors are also accommodated on Christmas Island, but we have explicitly banned the detention of children from the immigration detention centre—something that is vehemently different from those who sit opposite who sought to still detain children in detention centres.

Let us have a look at the capacity of Christmas Island and the area to which the opposition would like us to go. On 14 March, there were 1,920 regular maritime arrivals and 23 crew accommodated on Christmas Island. Christmas Island can adequately accommodate this number of arrivals and, as part of the routine contingency planning, this government continues to increase the accommodation capacity on Christmas Island. The current overall capacity is over 2,040. Additional demountables were installed at the detention precinct in late 2009 to further expand the capacity by 212 beds. The capacity will be increased by 400 with the establishment of an additional contingency compound and these works are due to be completed fairly soon, in addition to the demountable accommodation currently used by staff at the Phosphate Hill facility that will be made available for detainees in the near future.

So what we are proving to the general public and to those opposite who refuse to accept, believe or listen is that there is capacity at Christmas Island and we are processing people on Christmas Island, developing the capacity we require. You heard Minister Evans say today that people on Christmas Island are being processed as quickly as possible, in around 115 days, to get their processing applications through. They are moved on, moved off or moved back. We have never shied away from the fact that if they are not genuine refugees they will be sent home. This is a much faster processing time than was ever experienced under the previous government.

We have always said that if there is a need to use the detention facility in Darwin it will be used. This is not news. I have heard Minister Evans repeatedly say that if the Darwin Immigration Detention Centre is needed it will be used to assist with the accommodation of refugees. (Time expired)