Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That consideration of government documents not be proceeded with today and that consideration of government business continue till 7.20 pm.

Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just speaking briefly to that motion: as you would know, Madam Acting Deputy President Moore, I am horrified at the concept of documents not being proceeded with, because it is one of the few opportunities for scrutiny of these measures. But as the Democrats, for reasons I keep questioning myself about, continue to want to take a constructive approach, despite the lack of any reciprocal attitude from the government, we will not stand in the way of being able to make a bit more progress on debate on this legislation. There are important questions.

But I want to take the opportunity to emphasise that not enabling documents to be spoken to does mean that scrutiny of some of the matters contained in those documents is also lessened. They are not just some arcane reports of no great consequence. Some of the documents today we are now not able to debate and draw attention to include reports about 15 more people who have been subjected to prolonged immigration detention, with very harmful consequences—in some cases as a direct result of administrative faults by departments. That is very germane to the current debate, because it is a reminder that, whatever the department, administrative failures can occur and, when there are not appropriate appeal or review mechanisms, people can suffer enormously as a consequence. One person in this report was detained for four years, a large part of that as the result of administrative error by the department in the first place. I will not speak to the report, since we are not speaking to documents, but I did want to highlight the consequence of not proceeding to documents. Nonetheless, given the imperatives before it, the Democrats will not stand in the way of the motion.

Question agreed to.