George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

As you say, Senator Hanson-Young, there has been a death, and any death is a tragedy. I am sorry to say, and to have to remind you, that under policies that you supported in recent years there were 1,200 deaths. That loss of life on a massive scale, unprecedented in Australian peacetime history, was stopped by the policies of this government. We continue to maintain an orderly border protection policy and we intend to continue to conduct the affairs and the management of the administration of the Christmas Island detention centre in an appropriate and orderly fashion.