Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brandis for his question. Can I indicate at the outset that the government will not tolerate riots in immigration detention centres. On 4 May 2011, the AFP arrested and charged seven people as a result of the investigation into the disturbances at Villawood. Six people were arrested at Silverwater Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre with cooperation from New South Wales Corrective Services person­nel and transported to the AFP's Sydney offices. Of course, all were charged with a variety of offences as follows: some with affray and some with destroying or damaging property. The government will, of course, continue to take a hard line against anyone who engages in violence in the immigration detention network—all agencies. While the detention service provider has incident management plans in place to ensure appropriate responses to disturbances at immigration detention facilities, any response, of course, is under­pinned by the fact that immigration detention is administrative, not punitive, in nature. The department has a well-established relationship with law enforcement agencies.

In terms of the specifics, I will seek further particulars about the time line and the chronology of events, which may assist Senator Brandis. I am advised that, of course, the department has met with senior representatives from all state and territory police—it is about ensuring that we do maintain law and order within the detention centres—and met with the Australian Federal Police on 19 April 2011. I am advised that that was a productive meeting and part of the routine and ongoing engagement between the department and law enforcement officers to ensure that issues such as that are dealt with expeditiously and early, can I say.