Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, upon notice, on 14 August 2012:

(1)   Why are departmental financial systems unable to extract the cost of litigation solely involving asylum seekers and detainees.

(2)   What costs are able to be extracted by departmental financial systems.

(3)   In regard to the $9.536 million spent on external litigation services during the 2011-12 financial year, to 31 December 2011: (a) can a breakdown be provided detailing exactly what this expenditure relates to, other than judicial review of migration and citizenship decisions; and (b) how many external providers provided litigation services to the department in relation to this figure.

(4)   How is the department invoiced for external litigation services.

(5)   Who is able to provide external litigation services to the department.

(6)   In regard to external litigation services during the 2011-12 financial year, for the periods up to 31 December 2011 and 30 June 2012, under the department’s model litigant obligations: (a) for how many cases did the department receive advice that it should not pursue litigation due to the case being assessed as not having a reasonable prospect of success; and (b) did the department pursue any cases for which it received such advice; if so, how many and why.

(7)   Can an updated figure be provided detailing the cost of defending and/or prosecuting legal actions by asylum seekers and detainees over the 2011-12 financial year.

Is $9.536 million the total cost of defending and/or prosecuting legal actions by asylum seekers and detainees for the 2011-12 financial year; if not, what is the actual figure.

How many claims brought by asylum seekers did the Government defend in the 2011-12 financial year, and the 2012-13 financial year to date.