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

My question is to Senator Cash, representing the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Minister, I refer you to the humanitarian calamity your government has created on Manus Island. After cutting off drinking water, food, medicine and electricity, your detainees were violently forced out of the detention centre by being beaten with metal bars last week. This is despite the fact that your so-called alternative accommodation is not ready and, even if it was, would not be safe or appropriate. Minister, why does your government continue to claim that all of the alternative accommodation facilities are ready when the UNHCR and many others have made it abundantly clear they are not finished, they are not finished today and, even if they were finished, they would be totally unsafe and inappropriate?

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

Senator McKim, yet again you and I are going to have to agree to disagree. I fundamentally reject the premise of all of Senator McKim's questions. But I also would make the point that, Senator McKim, you have stood here proudly today and stated that you have been to Manus Island now four times. Four times you went up there and you encouraged the residents not to comply with the directions given by either an Australian government or the PNG government. You go up there quite deliberately but quite proudly, as you say, to enflame tensions in relation to this matter. You go up there quite proudly again, as you have stated, to give the residents false hope that they may come to Australia. Senator McKim, like so many activists, you have encouraged the residents to stay in a centre where there was no food, no electricity and no water just so that you could make a political point.

I'm not going to make a political point; I am going to put facts on the table as to why the government will not waver when it comes to border protection. Senator McKim, you were unfortunately but in your political party quite proudly associated with the former Labor government that did lose control of our borders. Because of that, in excess of 50,000 people arrived here illegally by boat, and we are still dealing with that issue. But, in particular, Senator McKim, the policies that you supported meant that 1,200 people died at sea trying to make the journey to this country. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, a supplementary question.

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

Minister, who is lying, you or the United Nations, in regards to the facilities being ready? Secondly, Minister Dutton wanted his prisoners out of his detention centre and the PNG security forces did as he asked, driving starving, dehydrated and defenceless people out by beating them with metal batons. Did you toast those beatings in your party room, Minister, as you saw those blows rain down? Did you congratulate yourself on an outstanding policy success?

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, resume your seat. Senator Brandis on the point of order.

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

Senators during question time are entitled to frame their questions in such a way as to make sharp rhetorical points, but I think, with respect, what has fallen from Senator McKim goes way beyond the bounds of acceptability or decency in this chamber and ought to be ruled out of order.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale on the point of order?

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

On that point of order: that comment from Senator Brandis is a little rich. We were here in this chamber a little over a week ago when Senator Brandis accused Senator McKim of inciting violence. We heard that accusation repeated now. I think the question was entirely in order and the minister should be forced to answer it.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bernardi on the point of order?

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr President, on the point of order: to put it simply, the use of the term 'lied' or to imply that the minister had lied is entirely unparliamentary, and I would ask you to rule this question completely out of order.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order—

An honourable senator: That's actually two.

Yes, that's technically correct. That is a second point of order from Senator Bernardi. On the first matter, I will allow the minister to answer those parts of the question. I will reflect exactly what was recorded. I was trying to take notes on the language but I didn't get every word and, if appropriate, I will bring that back to the chamber. I call Senator Cash to answer the parts of the question that were asked before the clock ran out. Senator Cash.

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

Thank you, Mr President. Senator McKim, most of what you said was actually political rhetoric, nothing more and nothing less. But you did ask whether or not this government was proud of policy success. In relation to your question, the answer is: we are very proud of the policy success that we have had in relation to securing our nation's borders.

Senator McKim interjecting—

As I said, Senator McKim, you and I are going to have to disagree. On this side of the chamber, we will always put the national interest first. On this side of the chamber, we understand that the No. 1 priority of your Commonwealth government—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Hinch.

Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, are we going to start this session the way we ended the last one, where the interjections just roll over the answers?

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I will ask all senators to particularly keep in mind—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order, please! We have had a senator ask for some degree of silence from the far end of the chamber so that they may hear the answer. Can those adjacent to that senator who might have been interjecting keep that in mind. They have their place, but senators need to be able to hear answers to questions. Thank you, Senator Hinch. Senator Cash.

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

As I was saying, on this side of the chamber, we put our border security and national security as a fundamental priority of our government. We make no apologies in that regard. Senator McKim, I am often bemused that you stand up here and criticise government policy, because in criticising the policy successes of this government you openly endorse open borders. You openly endorse 50,000—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cash. The time for the answer has expired. Senator McKim, a final supplementary question.

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

Minister, as the UNHRC said:

… medical care remains inadequate, and caseworkers, interpreters, and torture and trauma counselling are completely unavailable.

Are you bloody serious, Minister? How you can leave innocent refugees—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator McKim, that sort of language isn't appropriate. I'll give you the opportunity to rephrase your question with appropriate language.

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

Are you serious, Minister? Are you seriously suggesting that innocent refugees can be deprived of essential services when they have been tortured, dehydrated and starved by your government for so long?

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McKim. The time for your question has expired. Senator Cash, I invite you to answer the part of the question that was asked prior to the time expiring.

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

Again, Senator McKim, what you have said is political rhetoric, nothing more and nothing less, and it is not supported by any of the facts. In relation to the health services that are being provided on Manus Island, Senator McKim, you were actually encouraging the residents to stay in accommodation that did not have food, that did not have electricity and that did not have water. You were the person who was actively encouraging them to do that. We, on the other hand, wanted them—and they now all have, I'm very pleased to advise the Senate—moved to the alternative accommodation, which now has all of those facilities.

In relation to the health care, Senator McKim, you would be well aware, because you have been up to Manus Island four times, that International Health and Medical Services continues to provide health care to both refugees and failed asylum seekers in PNG's Manus province from a clinic base at the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre. You would also be aware that health care is available at Lorengau hospital.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.