Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection claims that the former Liberal Prime Minister the late Malcolm Fraser made mistakes in bringing Lebanese Muslim people into Australia in the 1970s. In question time yesterday, the minister said:

Nothing that Mr Dutton has said has in any way compromised or prejudiced that engagement, and I have had no suggestion from any of my agencies or my department to that effect.

Will the minister now correct the record and confirm that senior members of the Australian Federal Police have indeed contacted leaders of the Australian Muslim community with concerns about the impact of Minister Dutton's comments?

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

No such concerns have been expressed to me, as I said in response to the question I received from the Greens yesterday. The fact is that Mr Dutton, like Mr Morrison before him, is a minister for immigration who has restored control of Australia's borders. And, as you know, Senator Di Natale, public confidence in the government's capacity to control Australian borders is an absolute precondition of successful multiculturalism.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. A point of order, Senator Di Natale?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, on relevance. Again, it was a very narrow question, and the question was whether senior members of the Australian Federal Police have contacted leaders of the Australian Muslim community with their concerns about Minister Dutton's comments—very straightforward.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You did preface that with 'Will the minister correct the record', and I think the minister has indicated that he does not need to correct the record, so he has been relevant in that context.

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

I am always chary of accepting a precis of documents that you will not quote from in direct speech. But no such complaint, no such concern, has been raised with me by either my department or my agencies. So, far from correcting the record, I absolutely stand by what I told you yesterday. Returning to Mr Dutton, the success of any minister for immigration is judged in a number of ways. It is judged—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Di Natale, a point of order?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order on relevance, again. I am not interested in the success or otherwise of Minister Dutton; I am interested in whether senior members of the Australian Federal Police have contacted members of the Australian Muslim community. It is straightforward. And if the minister does not have that information he can take it on notice. But he made a very clear statement yesterday that that had not occurred. Take it on notice, if he does not have the answer at hand.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My recollection of yesterday was that the minister said he had not had concerns expressed to him. You have now asked him whether he is aware of concerns expressed to third parties or to others. The minister has heard the question. The minister has been relevant. He has been in context to the question you have asked.

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

So, Senator Di Natale, if you care to quote, in direct speech, from a document that you assert refers specifically to Mr Dutton's remarks, please do so. Your failure to do so is revealing. The success of Mr Dutton as a Minister for Immigration and Border Protection is judged according to how successful Australia's immigration policy has been, and it has been immensely successful, and how successful our resettlement programs for refugees have been, and they have been the most successful in the world, and how successful Mr Dutton has been in protecting Australia's borders so that public confidence in the government's capacity to protect the borders is high, and on that he has a perfect score.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I have a supplementary question. Minister Dutton claims that out of the last 33 people who have been charged with terrorist related offences in this country 22 are of second- and third-generation Lebanese Muslim background. Can you provide the source for these figures? And are you confident that they are accurate?

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

How revealing is it that twice now, given the opportunity—and indeed met with the request by me—to quote in direct speech from the document he references, Senator Di Natale has failed to do so. So, I think we can only—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a point of order?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order on relevance. Firstly, I did not reference a document. You are hearing things, Senator Brandis. Secondly, I asked a very specific question. The supplementary question was about the source of the figures and whether you are confident that they are accurate.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister of the question.

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

Well, we are now hearing that there is no such document, so Senator Di Natale, having purported to quote from members of the AFP, can now produce nothing but what apparently is anecdote and hearsay. I am very confident that any statement made by my ministerial colleagues in either house of this parliament is accurate.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a final supplementary question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the minister received any advice from the AFP to correct the statistics that the minister cited with regard to the people that have been charged with terrorist related offences, and will the minister immediately table any such advice if or when it is received?

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

Your question assumes that there is a correction required. That premise is not accepted. In any event, Senator Di Natale, I have received no such advice.