Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Cash, the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Minister Dutton has decided that Australia's Manus Island immigration prison will close in just 15 days. I note that the men you have detained there for over 4½ years remain your government's responsibility, as has been made clear on numerous occasions by the UNHCR and by Minister Dutton, when he said just last week in regard to offering transfer to Nauru: 'We,'—that is, we, Minister—'are putting these options on the table.'

Is it still your intention to close your Manus Island prison on 31 October? What will you do with the many hundreds of our fellow human beings who have suffered so greatly at your hands and the hands of the Labor Party? Where will they sleep? Will they have access to adequate medical care after 31 October?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McKim, for the question. I am going to have to disagree, obviously, as you and I do on these occasions, with the way that you have described the Manus Regional Processing Centre. In relation to your question, is the government going to close the Manus Regional Processing Centre? The answer is yes. Papua New Guinea, with Australia's support, will close the Manus Regional Processing Centre by 31 October 2017. The PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority have established alternative accommodation and service arrangements in Manus Province. Refugees who have expressed an interest in US resettlement may also volunteer to transfer to Nauru. Non-refugee residents are expected to return home voluntarily and will be assisted to do so. Nonrefugees not returning voluntarily will be involuntarily removed from PNG by the government of PNG.

Can I again say that the question that needs to be asked is: why? Why is anybody on Manus Island in the first instance? It is not because Labor and Liberal put them there. As you know, when you were in coalition with the former Labor government you lost control of the borders and, as a result, to this day it is those of us on this side of the chamber who continue to clean up your mess. There were 50,000 people who arrived on over 800 boats and 1,200 deaths at sea that we know about, and let's not even get started on the thousands of children who were placed in detention. (Time expired)

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, not drowning, just being tortured. Minister, my supplementary question is this: will you categorically rule out the use of force to remove refugees from the Manus Island prison, and will you further categorically rule out cutting off water and electricity from the Manus Island prison in order to coerce people to leave?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, unfortunately, with the way that Senator McKim has characterised his question, absolutely none of it relates to what this government is doing in supporting the PNG government. As I've stated, it is not a prison, and, Senator McKim, you know that torture can never be used. Quite frankly, it is an insult that you would even raise that. The PNG government, with the support of the Australian government, will close the Manus Island regional processing centre by the 31st—

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

Senator McKim on a point of order?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. The two questions were abundantly clear and specific. Firstly, will the minister rule out the use of force to remove people from the Manus Island detention centre? And, secondly, will she explicitly rule out cutting off water and electricity to coerce people out? I'd ask you to remind her of the questions and urge her to answer them.

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

Thank you, Senator McKim. In doing so, I will indicate that the minister was addressing points in your preamble. But, yes, I will remind the minister of the questions.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As Senator McKim well knows, anybody will be removed by lawful means.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So you won't rule out force and you won't rule out cutting off water and sewerage—

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

Order, Senator McKim! Do you have a final supplementary question?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This stuff just absolutely beggars belief, Mr President.

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

Your question, Senator McKim.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, do you agree that even those who originally may not have been refugees are now owed a duty of care by Australia due to the harm you have caused them and the lives you have destroyed for 4½ years? Will you now finally do the right thing and bring the men, women and children you've imprisoned on Manus Island and Nauru here to Australia so we can look after them properly?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, unfortunately, I have to reject the premise of everything that Senator McKim has said in relation to the categorisation of the Manus Regional Processing Centre. Senator McKim, we are going to have to agree to disagree in relation to this issue. We are cleaning up the mess that you created when you, with the former Labor government, lost control of our borders. As I've already stated, 50,000 people came to this country illegally on over 800 boats. Twelve hundred people, Senator McKim, lost their lives at sea—those are the ones we know of. Over 8,000 IMA children were detained, and, at the height of the policy failure, there were almost 2,000 children in detention. For once in your life, could you please take responsibility for your actions.