Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, who represents the Prime Minister in the Senate. Will the Prime Minister ask the Indonesian President for clemency for the Bali nine following reports that their legal appeals are failing?

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

The question might have been more properly directed to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Attorney-General. I am happy to get further information on it but I do not have a brief to hand. As I think Senator Nettle would know, our principle position on this is that we oppose the use of the death penalty per se. We make every effort we possibly can through our diplomatic channels to ensure that any Australian overseas who has been convicted does not have the death penalty applied. Subject to a full briefing—and I am happy come back to you on that—I have no doubt that we will be endeavouring to use every resource at our disposal to ensure that no Australian is subject to the death penalty.

Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I would appreciate if the senator could come back with any information about whether the Prime Minister is intending to raise this issue with the Indonesian President when he arrives in Australia as a part of APEC.

I am also interested to know whether the government will be instructing the Federal Police only to cooperate with foreign police services in such a way that nobody is exposed to the death penalty.

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

I am happy to get further information as to whether the Prime Minister intends to raise that matter with the Indonesian President. I have a brief here which reminds me that the Foreign Minister has made it very clear to Indonesia’s Foreign Minister on several occasions that the government will vigorously support clemency for the six Australians sentenced to death in Bali should the death sentences still stand at the end of the legal process. I can confirm that those representations have been made at foreign minister level and I am happy to seek further information on the question of whether that will occur at Prime Ministerial level.