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

(   First of all, Senator McKim, the Australian government does not conduct the camp on Manus Island; it is conducted by the government of New Guinea. Secondly, the arrangements for the establishment of the camp on Manus Island were created not by the government in which I serve, but by the government of Mr Kevin Rudd.

Thirdly, as I tried to point out to you in my answer to your primary question, this government has been working to secure a more favourable outcome for the people on Manus Island, in particular by negotiating an agreement with the government of the United States which currently is being executed. That agreement with the Obama administration, which was the subject of much talk last week after the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Turnbull and President Trump, has been affirmed by President Trump, the Secretary of State and by President Trump's spokesman. So that is what the Australian government is doing to clean up another Labor mess.