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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Cash. Minister, I note that your government's finally caved to public pressure and has brought a number of children and their families from Nauru to Australia. Can you confirm that either all or the overwhelming majority of those children who've been brought to Australia along with their families are currently being held in detention in Australia's onshore immigration detention network? How many children from Nauru do you currently have locked up in Australia?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKim for the question but, of course, as always, I note the irony in the fact he has to ask this question because it is, of course, the policies of the Australian Greens when they joined with the former Labor government when they were in government that resulted in—well, isn't that interesting? Senator McKim sits there and yawns, colleagues, because he doesn't understand the reality of the policies that they have agreed with—policies that saw in excess of 50,000 people come to this country illegally. Senator McKim, the fundamental difference between those of us on the Liberal-Nationals side of politics and those on the left-wing side of politics is that we don't even want to see children go into detention in the first place, which means that we have tough border protection policies, because, Senator McKim, under the former Howard government—

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

Order! Senator Cash, please resume your seat. Senator McKim on a point of order.

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

On the blindingly obvious point of order of direct relevance, the minister's more than halfway through the period of time allotted for her answer. She's not within a bull's roar of the question that I asked. I ask that you remind the minister of the question.

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

Thank you, Senator McKim. You have done so; I will do so as well. It was a specific question. I ask the minister, who has 59 seconds remaining, to answer. I call the minister.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, through absolutely no assistance from you at all, those of us on this side of the chamber, the Morrison government, the Liberal-Nationals government, have actually done everything that we can to ensure that there are no children in detention. Significant headway has been made by our government to remove children from detention. You would be aware—

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

Order! Senator Cash, please resume your seat. Senator McKim on a point of order.

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

Yes, President. I thank you for previously reminding the minister of the question. If the minister doesn't know, she should take the question on notice and commit to coming back to the Senate with the answer. I ask that you request her to do that if in fact she doesn't have the information before her.

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

As you know, Senator McKim, I am unable to instruct the minister on how to answer the question as long as they are being directly relevant, which I believe the minister is at the moment.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, it is under this government that significant headway has been made in removing children from detention. Senator McKim, at the height of the former government's failed policies, you and the Australian Greens were responsible for in excess of 8,000 children in detention. It is because of the actions of those of us on this side of the chamber that children were actually removed from detention.

Scott Ryan (President) 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, how many innocent children that have been brought from Nauru to Australia recently by your government have you got locked up in Australia's onshore immigration detention regime? Can you confirm that none of those children currently have access to any educational supports whatsoever?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, I'm going to totally reject the premise of your question. You will be aware, as I have stated, that under this government we have made every possible effort to remove children from detention. From a peak of 1,992 children in detention under the government that you were part of, the former Labor-Greens government, the number of—

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

Senator Di Natale on a point of order.

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

On a point of order on relevance, Mr President, it was a very clear question: how many kids are locked up in onshore detention and how many can go to school? It was a very clear question. We don't need a lecture on what happened under the previous government. If we haven't got the answer, that's okay, Minister; just take it on notice.

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

Senator Di Natale, I've granted you some latitude in restating the question. As long as the minister is directly relevant, I am not capable of directing the minister how to answer a question. There are opportunities after question time to take note and debate ministers' answers.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the number of IMA children who were in held detention reduced to zero. It actually reduced to zero in April 2016—again, Senator McKim, with no thanks to any support at all from the Australian Greens. As at 28 November 2018—as you are probably aware, because people tell you these things—there were 45 children— (Time expired)

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

We've got no response yet to the very simple questions, Minister. I'll ask this as a question: how many kids have you got locked up currently who have come from Nauru recently and are locked up in Australia's onshore immigration detention? What is the nature of the educational supports, if any, provided to those children? In fact, Minister, why are you holding any innocent children at all in our detention regime, and will you confirm that you will not send these kids or their families back to Nauru?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, the problem with your question is that it is fundamentally wrong. You refer to people being 'locked up'. They are not locked up. Again, Senator McKim, it is only because of the policies of the Australian Greens, in concert with the former Labor government, that any person was actually placed into immigration detention.

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

President, I'm unsure—this is a point of order, again, on direct relevance. I want to be clear. Is the minister saying that there are no children currently locked up in Australia's onshore immigration detention regime? I'd like her to clarify that, please—currently, as we stand here now.

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

Senator McKim, I've granted some latitude. It's not an opportunity to ask another question, most definitely. Senator McKim, the last part of your question there was fairly open ended—that is, the part that commenced with 'why'. The minister is being directly relevant to this supplementary question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, Senator McKim, you like to use the phrase 'locked up'. It's certainly an emotive phrase. We're on broadcast today, so I suppose that's the reason that you were given the question today, to pander to those who support the Australian Greens. But, Senator McKim, as I was stating, in excess of 8,000 IMA children were detained whilst you supported the policies of the former Labor government. As at 28 November, 45 children were in detention. Of these, one is a non-IMA child; 44 are IMA children, and they are accommodated— (Time expired)