Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, with effect from 20 March 2014, for inquiry and report by midday 27 March 2014:

An inquiry into the breach of Indonesian territorial waters between 1 December 2013 and 20 January 2014 by Royal Australian Navy and/or Customs vessels in connection with Operation Sovereign Borders (the incidents), and in doing so, the committee must consider:

(a) the sequence of events that led to the incidents, including detailed accounts of each incident;

(b) the operational protocols and procedures observed by the Royal Australian Navy, Customs and Border Protection and by other relevant Commonwealth agencies during the incidents;

(c) the extent to which the incidents complied with international law;

(d) the steps being taken to prevent similar incidents from taking place in the future;

(e) the communications between Operation Sovereign Borders agencies, including the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Joint Agency Taskforce, the Department of Defence and Customs and Border Protection, regarding the incidents;

(f) the communications between the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Minister for Defence, the Senior Command of the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Department of Defence, Customs and Border Protection and Operation Sovereign Borders agencies, including the Joint Agency Taskforce, regarding the incidents;

(g) the operational procedures observed by the Royal Australian Navy and other Commonwealth agencies involved in Operation Sovereign Borders to ensure the safety of its personnel and asylum seekers during the incidents;

(h) the briefings given to Australian Navy and Customs and Border Protection personnel (both on-water and off-water) about maritime borders and laws of the sea during on water operations; and

(i) any other matters relating to Operation Sovereign Borders.