Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. Is the minister aware of Senator Feeney’s statement yesterday, ‘We reached an accommodation’—and he then went on with the standard spin—‘not with the occupants of that vessel but with the Indonesian government’? Will the minister confirm that this is a clear admission that there was a special deal applicable to those on the Oceanic Viking?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It seems to me that the tactics committee of the Liberal Party are totally bereft of new ideas, because I have been asked this question in various ways probably about 15 times this week. I can say at first I always listen to Senator Feeney’s contributions very closely because they are erudite and generally quite amusing. He has a certain way that I find very amusing. Senator Feeney obviously has correctly described that there was an agreement between the Indonesian government and the Australian government as to how those who disembark from the Oceanic Viking will be treated. That agreement was struck and that agreement was followed. We insisted that those people disembark in Indonesia and we rejected their claims to come to Australia. Those people have accepted the fact that they will disembark in Indonesia and have done so. They have gone into detention, as we agreed with the Indonesian government, and they will have access to UNHCR representatives, who will assess their asylum claims.

Senator Feeney was correctly representing that there was an agreement between the two governments as to how this would occur, because the asylum seekers were on our vessel but were disembarking in Indonesian territory. Obviously Indonesian law must apply when they disembark, so there was an agreement between the two governments. That agreement has been honoured by the Indonesian government and it has been honoured by the Australian government. After some delay the asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking have decided to disembark and given up their claim to be taken to Australia. That is as it should be. They will be processed according to the UNHCR processes and, following that, those who are found to be refugees will be treated accordingly. Those who are not will be returned. (Time expired)

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister confirm that the assessment time lines and support offered to those asylum seekers from the Oceanic Viking differ from those offered to all other asylum seekers in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world? Why can’t the minister simply acknowledge that it was in fact a special offer made to the queue jumpers to get them off the Oceanic Viking?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I made clear, the arrangement between the two governments provided a time frame in which the claims would be assessed. That was agreed between the two governments as a means of resolving the situation of these people disembarking in Indonesia and the Indonesians’ interests in making sure that arrangements were satisfactory to them and satisfactory to Australia. Of course there are variances in time frames regarding asylum claims all around the world.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Variances? Years!

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, while interjecting, would of course know that there are millions of asylum seekers, many of whom, as she quite rightly acknowledges, are not able ever to be resettled. That is the reality.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Shouting across the chamber is disorderly.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I have made clear, these people will be assessed under the normal UNHCR processes and, if found to be refugees, will be offered resettlement. If found not to be refugees, they will be returned to the country— (Time expired)

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I, probably like the rest of Australia, did not find any clarity in the last answer. Why is the minister so determined to deny the patently obvious and refuse to admit that those from the Oceanic Viking have been guaranteed support and time lines that have not been and cannot be guaranteed to any other asylum seeker anywhere in the world, including the 255 Sri Lankans picked up at the request of the Prime Minister?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have made clear on numerous occasions, and Senator Scullion surely would have understood by now—I know he is a country boy, but I did not think he was totally thick—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He has heard it a number of times.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Evans, if you have said something unparliamentary, withdraw it.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, if I have said something unparliamentary, of course I withdraw. I was actually paying Senator Scullion a compliment, but his colleagues objected. We made very clear that the arrangements for processing of those people who were on the Oceanic Viking were a result of an agreement between the two governments to deal with the circumstances where we had rescued these people at sea.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Abetz and Senator Fierravanti-Wells, constant interjection is disorderly.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a result of the rescue at sea of these people in the Indonesian search and rescue zone they were taken to Indonesia. We refused to take them to Australia. We took them to Indonesia and we told them if they disembarked they would be given proper treatment and assessed against the UNHCR guidelines. That has occurred and the processing will occur in accordance with those processes. (Time expired)