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

My question is to Senator Wong, the Minister representing the Attorney-General. I refer the minister to the evidence of the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Negus in estimates on 19 October in which he confirmed that the AFP periodically compiles a report entitled Strategic intelligence forecast: transnational criminal trends and threats to Australia, the most recent edition of which was finalised on 27 March 2009. That report stated:

Reporting indicates that people smugglers will market recent changes in Australia’s immigration policy to entice potential illegal immigrants. This may cause a rise in the number of attempted arrivals.

Given that the government has been aware of the existence of the report since it was confirmed in estimates earlier this year, has the Attorney-General now taken steps to inform himself of the contents of the report?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This matter has been traversed with Senator Brandis on many occasions. As he knows from the answers I have provided in this chamber and that others have provided—I think Senator Ludwig was representing in the estimates hearing—the report to which he has referred was the subject of discussion in the estimates hearing. As the senator knows, intelligence documents are produced for operational use by the AFP, they are not produced as a basis of policy advice to ministers, and they guide the operational decisions of the Australian Federal Police and its partner agencies. It was made clear to Senator Brandis by the AFP Commissioner, Mr Negus, on 19 October that the intelligence report had never been provided to ministers. In fact, he stated that the report was an ‘operationally focused document’ and it would be inappropriate to provide it to ministers.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that at least since 19 October the government, and indeed the public, have been aware of this matter in the report, has the Attorney-General since taken the trouble to inform himself of the contents of the report?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do I understand Senator Brandis, through you, Mr President, to be suggesting that what should occur is that the Attorney-General should not take the views of the AFP Commissioner into account and should be demanding a document that the commissioner himself has said is an operationally focused document that would be inappropriate to provide to ministers? Is that really Senator Brandis’s proposition? The government has made clear the nature of this report. The AFP Commissioner has made clear the nature of this report. This report is an operationally focused document and it would be inappropriate for it to be provided to ministers.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the gravity of the warning in the AFP report, of which the opposition has now made the government aware, how does the government propose to change its policy to counter the obvious rise in the number of attempted illegal arrivals, just as the AFP warned and as the government now knows the AFP warned?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are really two issues in that question, and the first is exactly the same issue as I have now answered on, I think, five previous occasions and as has been asked and answered in the estimates process. The answer is that this is an operational document and it would be inappropriate for it to be provided to ministers, and this has been made clear to Senator Brandis on many occasions.

I again make the point, which has been conveniently forgotten by those on the other side, that this is a global problem. The number of asylum seekers globally is a global challenge. There are over 42 million displaced people around the world. Global factors have continued to see an increase in the global numbers of refugees and asylum seekers. I know those opposite do not want to hear this because they do not want to deal with this policy challenge; they just want to make political points. Senator Brandis knows— (Time expired)