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

My question is to the Minister for Communications, representing the Minister for Home Affairs. Minister, I refer you to the 119 children currently in offshore detention on Nauru, and specifically to the case of a 12-year-old boy who is on a hunger strike, who weighs just 36 kilograms. Is it true that doctors have advised your government that the boy is at risk of death within days? Is it true that the reason you have not evacuated him to Australia for desperately needed medical treatment is that you insist that he travel without his family? Minister, why will you not allow his family to travel with him?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can't speak about that individual case, but let me just make clear to colleagues the situation on Nauru in relation to children. Firstly, no-one is detained on Nauru, and children can move about the island freely, including attending school. As of 15 August there are 120 minors in Nauru, three-quarters of which remain engaged in the US process. There are 35 minors who have already been—

Scott Ryan (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 minister has at least partially addressed the question by saying that he's not going to respond to individual cases. I'm wondering if that constitutes a claim for public interest immunity by the minister, because he has given no reason at all to substantiate that statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All senators know that I cannot instruct a minister how to answer a question. As long as the minister is directly relevant to part of the question asked, he is in order. The minister is being directly relevant to part of the question you asked.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, 35 minors have already been resettled in the US. Two minors settled in the US have since turned 18. There are currently 10 minors and their families residing in the family centre on Nauru. The remaining 110 minors live with their families in the community.

But I want to make clear that neither I nor any colleague on this side of the chamber will take an ethics lecture on regional processing from either the Australian Greens or the Australian Labor Party. It was not anyone on this side of the chamber that was responsible for the policies that saw 50,000 people arrive illegally on 800 boats.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Fifield! On a point of order, Senator McKim.

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

Mr President, the point of order is, again, relevance. This boy is dying, and the minister is refusing to answer reasonable questions about a boy that doctors are saying will be dead within days.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, please resume your seat.

A government senator interjecting—

Order on my right! Senator McKim, that was not a point of order. The minister needs to be directly relevant to all or part of the question you asked. I note the minister has 35 seconds to continue his answer in a way that is directly relevant to the question.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, it was the policies of those opposite, supported by the Australian Greens, which saw 50,000 people arrive illegally on 800 boats, saw 1,200 deaths at sea and put 8,000 children in detention. All I can assume is that Senator McKim is arguing for a return to the former policies.

Senator Keneally interjecting—

I hear Senator Keneally interjecting. Senator Keneally is not aware of what her own party's policy is in relation to this area—

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is it alright for this child to die on your watch?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

which her persistent interjections confirm. She is completely unaware of her own party's policy.

Government senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Keneally! Order on my right! Senator McKim, a supplementary question.

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

Resignation syndrome is a rare psychological condition that afflicts traumatised children when they are overwhelmed by stress. They stop eating, they stop drinking, they stop talking and they stop toileting themselves. They essentially go into hibernation. Minister, how many of the children you are detaining on Nauru are exhibiting these symptoms, and how many have been diagnosed with resignation syndrome?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I make clear that all residents of the Nauru Regional Processing Centre receive health care broadly comparable with Australian public health standards on a 24/7 basis, including after-hours emergency care. Specialist health services are provided, including—

Scott Ryan (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

Mr President, once again, it's on relevance, and I do believe I'm on solid ground here. The only issue I ask—

Government senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! The minister's—

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

You might think dying children is funny. I don't.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator McKim!

Government senators interjecting—

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

I don't, mate!

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim! Senator McGrath, Seselja, Fierravanti-Wells, order! Turn to your point of order rather than debating the question, Senator McKim.

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

Mr President, the point of order is relevance. In my question I asked only about resignation syndrome. The minister is reading out a prepared answer that has nothing at all to do with the subject of my question. I ask that you at least remind him of my question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, you have reminded the minister of the specific nature of your question. I heard the minister. You asked about diagnosis. I heard the minister talking about health. He has 41 seconds to continue his answer. I do believe what the minister was saying was directly relevant, but you've taken the chance to remind him.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

International Health and Medical Services provides mental health services in Nauru. Where clinically indicated, IHMS may refer patients to receive additional health care. As I was saying previously—

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

How many children are in a catatonic state, Minister?

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many children have drowned under your policies?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators McKim and Macdonald!

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

specialist health services include psychology, psychiatry, dentistry, obstetrics, radiography, pharmacy services and trauma counselling services, and additional specialist services may be deployed to Nauru through the visiting specialist programs on an as-needs basis.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, a final supplementary question.

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

I'm not expecting an answer to this either, Mr President. Minister, how much more do the children on Nauru need to suffer before your government will take action? How many families need to be torn apart and ruined? How many children need to die, Minister? Or will you take action now and evacuate these children and their families to Australia? In fact, will you close down your whole bloody offshore detention system?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, there's an appropriate way to ask questions, and use of such terminology in a question is not appropriate. Senator Fifield.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is absolutely no morality in returning to the policies of 2007 to 2013.