Senator BRANDIS (2:14 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans. Is the minister aware of reports that the motor vessel Sun Sea carrying a number of potential unlawful entrants is en route to Australia? Given the suspected links between this vessel and an organised Tamil Tiger people-smuggling operation, can the minister assure the Australian people, particularly in view of those concerns, that the motor vessel Sun Sea will not be allowed to enter Australian waters?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) —I thank Senator Brandis for the question. As I made clear to the opposition the other day when I had a similar question, I will not of course be discussing in the Senate any advice we get from intelligence or defence sources about potential people-smuggling or other ventures. So, when he asks me about an alleged venture on a particular boat that may or may not involve a people-smuggling operation and may or may not have connections with the Tamil Tigers, I clearly am not able to assist him in discussing any of those issues publicly. But what I can say is that if a vessel containing people seeking asylum or people who enter unlawfully does arrive that boat will be intercepted, the persons will be interviewed, those seeking asylum will be taken into detention—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Senator Evans, resume your seat. Senator Fifield! Senator Cameron! When there is silence we will proceed. Senator Evans, continue.

Senator CHRIS EVANS —As I was saying, any persons detected entering Australian waters unlawfully will be detained. Those seeking asylum will be mandatorily detained and taken to Christmas Island. They will remain in mandatory detention until such time as they have completed health, identity and security checks and before their asylum claims are considered and determined. All persons will be interviewed by our security agencies and any suggestions of activity involving terrorist or criminal organisations will be investigated and examined. As I say, no-one would be granted asylum or moved to the mainland if the security agencies had security concerns about those persons.

Senator BRANDIS —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that another boat arrived at Flying Fish Cove near Christmas Island yesterday? Doesn’t the fact that boats carrying suspected illegal asylum seekers continuing to arrive on our shores demonstrate that Labor has lost control of our borders? Does the minister agree with the current Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, when as opposition spokesperson on immigration she said that another boat is another policy failure?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) —I can confirm that we had a boat arrival yesterday at Christmas Island. As the senator would understand, Christmas Island is a very long way from the mainland of Australia, but we have had a number of boats seek to land there.

Senator Ian Macdonald —It is part of Australia, you know!

Senator CHRIS EVANS —It is very much part of Australia, Senator. I would remind him that under the previous government there were 31 undetected arrivals during their term of office, which also includes arrivals that pulled up at Cairns, Sydney, Broome and Port Kembla. There has been only one arrival on the mainland under this government, which was a Sri Lankan fishing vessel with people on board who were returned to Sri Lanka after having their asylum claims assessed. I remind the senator that under his government there was a large number of mainland arrivals as people sought asylum in this country. It is the case that we have had a number of boats arrive at Christmas Island. (Time expired)

Senator BRANDIS —Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware that, according to the most recent information available from his department, at the end of May there were 3,733 people in detention? Is the minister also aware that since then over 501 more people have arrived illegally by boat, including another 53 only yesterday? Will the minister confirm that there are now more people detained under Labor’s failed border protection policies than at any time before?

Senator CHRIS EVANS (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) —I can say that in broad terms the figures quoted by the senator are close to the figures that I have for total numbers in detention. It is true that we are dealing with an increased level of arrivals and therefore increased numbers in detention. This is because we do mandatorily detain all arrivals and do put them through rigorous health, security and identity checks. They are not released from mandatory detention unless those checks have occurred and then there is a very rigorous assessment of their asylum claims. I would remind the senator, because he chooses to forget, because it is convenient for him to forget, that between 1999 and 2001 the Howard government had 12,000 arrivals and most of them were left to rot in detention for many years. (Time expired)