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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I rise to take note of document No. 77, relating to the Migration Act 1958 and assessment of detention arrangements by the Commonwealth Ombudsman. I want to start by drawing colleagues' attention to a report released by the Human Rights Commission this year entitled Risk management in immigration detention. In Commissioner Santow's foreword to that report, he makes the blindingly obvious observation, 'No-one held in immigration detention has forfeited their human rights'. Later in that foreword, he says:

… the average length of immigration detention in Australia is currently close to 500 days—

that's approaching a year and a half—

a period that is many orders of magnitude greater than almost any other developed country.

And, again, he rightly points out that risks to human rights increase the longer a person is held in immigration detention. The report outlines a range of concerns that the Human Rights Commission has about the way our immigration detention framework is delivered in this country, and those concerns are shared by the Australian Greens.

But today I want to speak about one particular detention centre—that is, the detention centre on Christmas Island. This is a centre that was closed last year and sat mothballed after that closure, but, in the process of trying to scare people about the effects of the medevac legislation, the government spent tens of millions of dollars reopening the centre. Since it reopened it has housed just four people: a family from Biloela who travelled to Australia to try to flee persecution and make a life in this country. They are a family who are much loved by the Biloela community and who, after a raid under cover of darkness, where the kids were dragged screaming out of their house—and these are very small children, toddlers—have been in immigration detention ever since.

There are more than 100 staff members at the Christmas Island detention centre to look after one family of four, including two toddlers. This is a scandalous and pointless waste of public resources. At Senate estimates, Home Affairs revealed that it had cost $30 million. When I put that information out publicly, people were absolutely furious. So I asked people on my social media sites how they thought that $30 million should have been spent, and I want to put a few of their answers on the record. Maree McCulloch said:

To start we could have assisted this family to educate their children & ensure the parents have all the skills needed to work full time. The rest could have assisted farmers in drought areas & invested some much needed money in TAFE.

Quite right, Maree McCulloch. Julia Taylor said, 'The choices are endless! Help the communities affected by drought and reduce waiting lists for elective surgery.' Tara Sargent said:

Spend it on helping the homeless and ensuring more people don't become homeless because of poor job security and unaffordable housing.

Nicole Hayward said:

I work for a rural high school where the students can barely use the toilet facilities as they have not been renovated since they were installed in 1972. We could really put some of the 30M to good use.

Mhor Doyle said:

By housing and feeding and helping all of our asylum seekers and people on bridging visas. We don't allow them to work and yet we don't provide for them.

Ben Rheinberger said, 'Spend it on Newstart or fighting climate change.' Kristi J Archer said, 'Meanwhile I've been waiting 17 months for the NDIS to approve funding so I can get a wheelchair.' Rosie Lone said:

As someone that lives in a regional town affected by drought here in Tamworth, on level 5 water restrictions and with day zero fast approaching - $30 million could have made a huge difference for farmers here, in Dubbo, Tenterfield, Stanthorpe etc to be able to drink and feed stock.

These comments go on and on and on. Mr Acting Deputy President Gallacher, I refer you to my Facebook page if you want to see the many, many hundreds of really smart suggestions people had for the investment of this $30 million. But, no, what the government has spent this $30 million on is inhumanely detaining a harmless family of four who were trying to build a life in the small Queensland town of Biloela, where they were much loved by the community. Free the Biloela family and let them go home.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, are you seeking leave to continue your remarks later?

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

I am, thank you.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.