Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, upon notice, on 22 August 2012:

With reference to the answers provided to question nos AE12/0251, AE12/0252, AE12/0255, taken on notice during the 2011-12 Additional estimates hearing of the

Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, and question no. BE12/0296, taken on notice during the 2012-13 Budget estimates hearing of the same committee, and the inability of the department to provide the requested data:

(1)   Why was data able to be provided in answer to question nos AE12/0251, AE12/0252, AE12/0255, and not in relation to question no. BE/0296.

(2)   What changes have occurred to the department’s system that prevents data of this type from being provided or collated, and on what date did these changes take place.

(3)   Who authorised this change in data collection and at what cost.

(4)   What was the rationale or public policy imperative put forward in support of this change.

(5)   In relation to the answer provided to question nos AE12/0251, AE12/0252, AE12/0255: (a) who collated the data provided; (b) how was it collated; and (c) what departmental system was used.

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

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

(1)   The questions at Additional Estimates in February 2012 (AE12/0251, AE12/0252, AE12/0255), is different from the question asked in Budget Estimates in May 2012 (BE/0296). Information for answers to questions raised in Additional Estimates was available only for Indonesia following detailed analysis of entry interviews. The specific data required to answer question no. BE/0296 is not available due to incomplete or fragmented information provided by IMAs.

(2)   No changes to the Department’s database have occurred.

(3)   No changes to the Department’s data collection have occurred.

(4)   No changes have occurred.

(5)   The responses to question nos. AE12/0251, AE12/0252, AE12/0255 were provided from information collated from a database administered by the Immigration Intelligence Branch.