Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Is the minister aware of the case of two-year-old Richard Niyonsaba, who arrived in Australia with his family from Africa on 3 November 2005 but died two days later? Can the minister confirm that Richard Niyonsaba’s family had documentation from the International Organisation for Migration indicating that their son required intensive medical assistance upon arriving in Australia? Can the minister explain why the family’s caseworker from ACL, the private firm carrying out settlement services in the region, did not ensure that intensive medical assistance was provided to Richard Niyonsaba immediately upon his arrival in Australia? Given that there will not be a coronial inquest into this matter, will the minister now instigate her own public inquiry into the events surrounding this tragedy?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know that I thank the senator for the question, but nonetheless—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How ungracious!

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that the remark of the senator interjecting could in fact be made to him about his earlier interjections in relation to this matter. The starting point here is that a young boy has lost his life, in Australia, within a few days of his family believing that they were coming here to every possible door opening to them. By anybody’s standards, that has to be judged to be a tragedy. I have said so before, but I again extend my sincere condolences to the family and to the Burundian community.

There have been comments by one person in particular in relation to this matter on the level of assistance provided to the family on arrival in Australia. I do not believe those comments to be well informed. I do note that on 17 January the New South Wales Coroner decided to not hold an inquest into Richard’s death. I think that tells us something. The coroner had the opportunity, if it was deemed appropriate—if there was something he could find out that would be relevant to the death—to have a coronial inquiry and he decided not to do so. I am not going to say any more about this particular case at this time. I would be happy to offer the senator a private briefing on it. I would point out, however, that the caseworker assigned to that family was also of Burundian background. There has been some suggestion that there was a communication breakdown. I would just make the point that that is my advice: it was a Burundian caseworker. The settlement assistance provided to humanitarian entrants is, by any comparison internationally, exemplary. I do have someone in my department, following the coroner’s decision not to hold a coronial inquiry, who will give me a full report on what happened.

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But no public independent inquiry.

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will make a decision about whether that is necessary, but the coroner has decided that there is no need for a coronial inquiry. Nonetheless, I have asked for full and detailed advice on what happened. The advice I have at the moment, which is not confirmed, does not point in the direction you would hope it would, Senator.

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister also aware of concerns raised by Dr Murray Webber, of the Newcastle Refugee Health Clinic, in a letter of 2 November 2005 to the New South Wales office of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, in which he cites other cases of refugees not receiving adequate health care from ACL?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not seen the letter from Dr Webber.

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should have.

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, you may have that view—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Minister, ignore the interjections and address your remarks through the chair.

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not seen the letter to which the senator refers, but undoubtedly the question of whether the care the government expects to be provided is provided will be addressed in the report that will come to me from the department. I want to stress that there is no excuse if something has gone wrong that should not have gone wrong. That will have to be answered for if it has happened. It is not my advice that that is the case at this point. I offer what I believe is some helpful advice to people interested in this—that is, find out the facts before you impugn a motive, a lack of faith or a lack of competence.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.