Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Madigan for his supplementary question. The government treats all asylum seekers with compassion and in accordance with our international obligations. The government feels that the most compassionate action is to get all the proven children of refugees out of detention. I would reiterate the point that Minister Morrison made to the Human Rights Commission inquiry. He stated as follows:

The aim of the Abbott Government is to return detention centres to the position left by the Howard Government, where there were no … children in detention at all who had arrived by boat.

None whatsoever. I'm sure we would all welcome seeing that again and I know I certainly would.

Senator Madigan, I would make the point that recent policy changes by this government have seen a decrease in the number of children in detention.