Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Lundy. Minister, noting that the numbers of people waiting for deportation to Nauru now exceed the numbers and capacity on Nauru and that Houston panel member Paris Aristotle stated this morning that we will 'continue to see desperate people take risky boat journeys to Australia until the government fully implements and honours its commitment to lift the humanitarian intake and resettle more people—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Just wait a minute, Senator Hanson-Young. Order on both sides. Senator Hanson-Young is entitled to be heard in silence. Please continue, Senator Hanson-Young.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Given that Paris Aristotle has said that the government needs to increase its humanitarian intake with direct resettlement from Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan, is the government misleading the Australian public when it claims that offshore processing on Nauru is acting as a deterrent?

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is determined to implement the expert panel's recommendations to stop the flow of boats and prevent the loss of life on dangerous boat journeys. There will be no advantage for people risking their lives on people-smuggling boats. We have to let these policies be implemented and allow them to start to work, so I think it is a bit rich to begin passing judgement on a set of policies, as is implied in the question, when they are in the process of being implemented.

I think it is important that everyone acknowledge that we allow the first transfers to get away to Nauru and start to see the policy at work. The message that will send is that there will be no advantage for people arriving by boat. The government expects to begin transferring IMAs to Nauru later this week and expects to have 500 asylum seekers on Nauru by the end of September. We are currently finalising arrangements for regional processing on Nauru, with the negotiations around provision of services at the offshore processing facilities ongoing, and I know the minister will announce further details in due course.

As the minister has already said, Nauru will shortly be ready to receive asylum seekers, with up to 500 places available by the end of September, subject to the designation of Nauru as a regional processing centre, which is currently the subject of debate within the Senate. Finally, as Senator Hanson-Young knows, we have increased our humanitarian program to 20,000, which is the single largest increase in our humanitarian intake for some 30 years.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, when indeed is the government going to implement the increase to the humanitarian intake? When is the first group of refugees from Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan expected to arrive in Australia?

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, I am happy to refer the detail of that to the minister. The issue is that we have announced the increase of 20,000 people in our humanitarian intake. Our increased refugee intake and the $10 million boost to regional capacity building, including the UNHCR processing in Indonesia, shows that Australia remains, as ever, committed to delivering better protection outcomes in our region.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. It seems that the minister was unable to answer that question, and I hope that it will be taken on notice. Minister, how long will women and children be detained in tents on Nauru?

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, as Senator Hanson-Young well knows, it is envisaged that, for some period, hopefully not too long—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Wait a minute, Senator. Order on my left!

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Cameron, I am trying to get order so that I can hear Senator Lundy's answer. Senator Lundy, continue.

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, I think, understands well that the minister has made a statement about the use of temporary accommodation on Nauru and that this will make it possible for transfers to occur—hopefully the first transfers to occur later this week. It is envisaged now that, as I understand it, with arrangements in place for permanent accommodation to be built, they will be housed in appropriate accommodation using tents and so forth for the intervening period.

Can I also add that in putting in place these arrangements every care is being taken by the Australian government to ensure that the welfare of people transferred to Nauru is looked after. We have addressed these concerns both through the discussion in the Senate through the course of the passage of the legislation relating to offshore processing, and it is, of course, subject to the current debate— (Time expired)