Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues) (4:45 PM) —On behalf of the government, I indicate that we oppose this motion that Senator Nettle has put forward. Having previously been Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs for three years, I, more than many in this chamber, know of the challenges that face all of the officers working within the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. The vast majority of those officers go beyond the call of duty in serving the Australian public when doing their work within the immigration department.

Senator Vanstone has indicated to me that she is determined to get to the bottom of this issue by getting the facts. She has advised me that the facts will be made public. She has also indicated that she will not be making judgments on culpability until the facts are there. With regard to the two cases that have attracted significant public attention, I have been advised that neither of these people were asylum seekers. As I said before, the immigration department, in the vast majority of cases, does a very good job. But you heard Senator Vanstone say here in this chamber in an answer to a question yesterday that she is not happy with what has happened and she wants to get to the bottom of the facts. But there are some facts that are clear: the events happened in 2001 when Senator Vanstone was not the minister and the results of a judicial inquiry will not be available for a considerable time.

I believe that Senator Nettle’s motion is a travesty of the process. Without any key facts being determined, you are casting blame. I think it is appropriate to wait. We have a very senior former public servant inquiring into this issue. He has indicated to Senator Vanstone that he has had all the cooperation he has required in undertaking this inquiry, and Senator Vanstone has indicated publicly that he has been offered any assistance and any resources he needs in undertaking the inquiry. I think the Senate deserves better than this. You could at least wait until Mr Palmer has completed the inquiry.

Statistics give lie to a claim that Senator Nettle makes in paragraph (b) of the censure motion. The 9,000 unauthorised boat arrivals released from detention, on average, received visas within 18 weeks of applying for protection. Processing has been timely, urgent and with the full awareness of Australia’s international obligations under the 1951 treaty. I am advised that there is no international obligation to monitor the safety of people who are removed from Australia. The obligation to check whether they face persecution is before they are removed. The obligation is there and the government adheres to that obligation.

I am very much of the opinion that this censure motion is premature. I think it is appropriate to wait until we get the results of the Palmer inquiry and consider Senator Vanstone’s response. This motion is not only premature but also totally inappropriate. I think you will be found to have acted prematurely. You will never have the opportunity to be a minister in a very difficult portfolio. Having been, as I said, parliamentary secretary to Minister Ruddock, I believe that the immigration portfolio would have to be one of the most difficult portfolios, particularly in ensuring that everyone is treated appropriately. In a couple of these cases people have given false information. They have not given their real name and have indicated that they have no family. They have given information which is not true with regard to their particular circumstance, and it is very difficult for officers to second-guess the truth.

If you had been in the position of seeing the incredibly difficult decisions that have to be made, you would realise that this motion is incredibly premature—and, as I said, it will be found to be totally inappropriate. The coalition do not support the motion. We do not agree with it. We believe it is appropriate to wait until Mr Palmer’s report is here. Senator Vanstone has indicated that she will make the facts available. The Senate should give Senator Vanstone credit until the report is here. (Time expired)