Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

So, even though Christmas Island has been excised from Australia for the purposes of the Migration Act, those 10 children have the minister as their guardian until the time this bill passes tonight. The minute that it passes tonight, those children can be sent to any country that the minister deems an appropriate place. If the parliament has said, 'This place is an appropriate detention centre,' those children can be sent there and the minister will no longer be their guardian; they will have no guardian once this legislation passes.