Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have been asked by Senator Cash about an incident that occurred at the centre on 19 March 2011. I am providing information. She has sought to rely on a newspaper report of the allegations as to what occurred on this occasion. I have provided information to the Senate on the basis of the information that has been provided to me by the minister. What I can indicate is that the New South Wales police are making inquiries into the nature of the events that occurred and that no person of interest in relation to the incident has been identified at this stage. The department advised the minister's office of the fire at the time but not of the discovery of the device or that the police had taken it for examination as possible evidence. In terms of what the senator seeks to assert is a matter of priority, that is entirely hypothetical.