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

In response to a question asked yesterday by Senator Wright regarding David Hicks, the Attorney-General has provided the following additional informa­tion. I seek leave to incorporate the response.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

David Hicks has submitted a Communication to the UN Human Rights Committee under the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Australia is a party

The Government is preparing a comprehensive response to the communication, which will be provided to the UN Human Rights Committee shortly.

The Attorney-General's Department has coordinated the preparation of the Government's response to the communication lodged by Mr Hicks. The Department has engaged with other departments and agencies in carrying out this work.

The UN Human Right Committee requested that the Government lodge its response to Mr Hicks' communication by 18 May 2011. The Government informed the Committee on 28 April 2011. that it would be unable to meet this deadline, due to the complexity of the issues raised in the communication.

I am advised the Committee noted this new timeframe and did not object to the Government delaying its response.

The Government advised the Committee that it expects to file the response in the third quarter of 2011.