Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will take on notice any question that I cannot answer that is part of that question from Senator Brown. I do not have details about Major O'Kane's role. I would like, though, to again stress that we were not the detaining power and that there was an attempt to have accountability on these matters at the time, with Labor pursuing these matters at Senate estimates. But it is also the case that Mike Kelly, our parliamentary secretary for agriculture, who was quoted on 7.30 last night, was a legal officer who was deployed in Afghanistan and he made the point that the detainee management regime in Iraq suffered from a very poor lack of preparation and a very bad tactical approach and strategic approach to counterinsurgency. It is quite clear that there were failings in the way this process was managed. The images from Abu Ghraib were shocking. I am happy to take on notice the specific issues the senator raises