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

Pursuant to standing order 74(5), and with notice given to the relevant minister's office, I ask the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Minister Lundy, for an explanation as to why answers have not been provided to 296 questions on notice from the October 2012 Senate estimates hearings and why no answers have been provided to the 509 questions on notice from the February 2013 additional estimates hearings.

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

The department took 507 questions on notice from the additional estimates hearings held in February 2013. The department also took 647 questions on notice from the supplementary estimates hearings back in October 2012. The department has not met the deadline for receipt of answers to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee as many of the questions sought detailed information on a number of complex and sensitive issues.

Over the past seven hearings since the supplementary estimates hearings in October 2010 there has been a significant increase in the number of questions on notice. I will give you some examples: 647 questions were taken on notice at the supplementary estimates hearings in October 2012; 510 questions were taken on notice at the budget estimates hearings in May 2012; 519 questions were taken on notice at the additional estimates hearings back in February 2012; 423 questions were taken on notice at the supplementary estimates hearings prior to that in October 2011; 794 questions were taken on notice at the budget estimates hearings in May 2011; 357 questions were taken on notice at the additional budget estimates hearings in February 2011; and 445 questions were taken on notice at the supplementary estimates hearings back in October 2010. This compares with only 136 questions on notice being asked at the budget estimates hearing back in May 2010. I hope these numbers give an indication of the weight of work that has been given to the department. They are doing their utmost to respond to those questions.

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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the minister's answer.

There is one thing that I agree with in relation to the minister's response, and that is that the department has failed to answer the questions on notice. Minister, you are absolutely correct. When it comes to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, there has been without a doubt over many, many years of estimates hearings now a pattern of behaviour. Maybe that department's pattern of behaviour can be put down to the fact that each and every day that we come into this place it would appear that another boatload of people have arrived, which means that this government is completely, totally and utterly incapable of controlling Australia's borders. One might then say that a responsible opposition would indeed ask questions about what is now possibly the grossest extent of policy failure that this country has ever seen. In fact, in this year alone, based on the number of people who have arrived, we now can say that under this government 66 people arrive per day—and the minister and the department wonder why we on this side of the chamber have questions to ask in relation to this gross policy failure.

Not only do we have the fact that we are now looking at 66 people arriving per day but also in my home state of Western Australia many of you will be aware that just a few weeks ago a number of people were sitting in the Dome cafe in Geraldton having morning coffee and a muffin when—lo and behold!—they looked up and could not believe that a boatload of illegal arrivals had sailed into the harbour. The joke was that maybe they should have leaned over and said, 'One soy latte, please,' that is how close they got to Perth and Fremantle in Western Australia. They sailed into Geraldton. It was when a few locals went out and asked, 'Do you guys have a problem?' that they said: 'Hello, yes. We are all the way from another country and we have quite literally docked in Geraldton. Maybe we will have coffee and breakfast with you.' And you wonder why, Minister, we on this side have questions to ask.

Then we had the revelation today that but a few hours ago a similar incident occurred and a boat docked at Croker Island just off the Northern Territory. Seriously, why even go to Christmas Island anymore when you can literally pull into the harbour at Croker Island or Geraldton? From this government there is silence. There is absolute silence.

A number of questions arise when you have such a gross breach of your country's border security. What about the quarantine issues that arise? If any one of us were to take an apple across the border and we were pinged by the Federal Police on the other side or Customs when we got off, we would be facing a jail sentence. This government does not seem to care that there were very, very serious breaches of quarantine when the boat sailed into Geraldton—and now with a boat almost into Darwin.

What about the fact that we have offshore petroleum stations? What about the fact that this boat allegedly must have gone past those platforms? What could have been done if they had wanted to do something? The questions abound. That is why we on this side of the chamber—the minister is right—do ask questions about what is now known, even amongst Labor ranks, as possibly the grossest dereliction of a federal government's duties ever seen in this country's history.

Minister Lundy, thank you for reading out the number of questions that have been taken on notice by the department, because maybe the department needs to have a look at itself. Maybe the departmental secretary needs to question why each question that we do ask at estimates is unable to be answered by the relevant departmental officers. Is it because they do not know? Because, if that is the answer, then we really do have a problem with the department. Or is it because the government does not want to reveal the information to the Australian people? I can only assume that that would have to be the answer—because, when you have 296 questions on notice from the October 2012 Senate estimates hearings that are still outstanding and every single answer to the 509 questions that were asked at the February additional estimates hearings is still outstanding, you can only assume that the government has something to hide—because, if it didn't, wouldn't you think that an instruction would be given to the department to answer those questions in a timely manner?

When there is such a gross, gross dereliction of duty in relation to this particular portfolio; when you have what is now in excess of 41,000 illegal arrivals on our shores, over 20,000 of those illegal arrivals having occurred in this financial year alone, yet the government only budgeted for 5,400—yes, they have revised up the estimates in MYEFO to 12,000, but their original estimate was 5,400 arrivals for this financial year; and when you are looking at what is to date—and I am in sure that it will be more tonight in but a few hours time—a $6.5 billion cost blow-out in this portfolio area but five years ago, under the former Howard government, it was costing less than $85 million per year in this same portfolio—that is, $85 million versus what is now upwards of $7 billion—it is little wonder, quite frankly, that this government does not want the department to answer the questions.

Question agreed to.