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Thursday, 9 February 2012
Page: 572

Asylum Seekers

Senator CASH (Western Australia) (14:26): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Ludwig. I refer to an article in today's Daily Telegraph—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Wait a minute, Senator Cash. Order, on both sides! Senator Cash is entitled to be heard in silence, on both sides.

Senator CASH: I refer to an article in today's Daily Telegraph revealing that detention provider Serco secretly renegotia­ted its contract with the Department of Immi­gration and Citizenship before Christmas. Given that this contract is now valued at a staggering $1 billion, four times the original contract value of $280 million, can the minister please advise how much more Australian taxpayers will be forced to pay for Labor's border protection failures?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister Assisting on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:27): I thank Senator Cash for her question. It is a shame, however, that she has to buy her information from the Daily Telegraph rather than read it in MYEFO. It does highlight one of the issues that the opposition suffer from—the inability to read MYEFO. These are not new costs. The value of these variations was in, as I indicated, MYEFO, so they do not have any new impact on the budget. If the opposition were really concerned about the cost of immigration detention facilities, they would stop the negativity and work with the government to re-establish offshore processing to provide a genuine deterrent to taking a dangerous boat journey to Australia rather than getting their newsflash from the Daily Telegraph.

The cheaper option and the government's preferred option is a successful Malaysia arrangement, but the opposition's negative politics have ended offshore processing. The increase in the detention services reflects the expansion of the detention network since the contracts were originally signed and the opening of 10 new facilities, including Curtin in WA, which you asked about yesterday, Inverbrackie and Pontville as well as the Darwin Airport Lodge. We also acknowledge that immigration detention is expensive just as it was for the previous government. The costs that you found are now reflected, of course. The department currently has two contracts with Serco—one for immigration detention centres and one for immigration residential housing. So you have to take the two issues apart and, of course, there is also the immigration transit accommodation centre. (Time expired)

Senator CASH (Western Australia) (14:30): Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to the commen­ts made by an immigration spokesman regarding the reasons for the contract blow-out: 'It is being driven by a simple reason, the expansion in the number of centres in the network.' Given that the number of detention centres has increased to 20 under the Labor government, will the government finally admit that it has lost control of Australia's borders and that this cost blow-out that Australian taxpayers are paying for is a problem entirely of this government's own making?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:30): I thank Senator Cash for the invitation to point out for those opposite that the Malaysian arrangement would mean a solution to some of the issues that you raise. However, if those opposite were really concerned about the cost of immigration detention facilities then they would stop the negativity that they raise and work with this government to find their way clear to vote for the legislation to ensure that we can have a Malaysian arrangement in place. But rather than that, the cheaper option and the preferred government policy is to have a successful Malaysian arrangement. The increase in the detention centres which Senator Cash has highlighted in her question does reflect the expansion of the detention network since the contracts were originally signed, including the opening of 10 new facilities. (Time expired)

Senator CASH (Western Australia) (14:31): Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the cost blow-out for the Serco contract is now in excess of $700 million, will the minister please advise the Senate how many schools, childcare centres and trade training centres could have been built, how many community projects could have been funded and how many hospital beds could have been provided to the people of Australia if it were not for Labor's utter incompetence when it comes to managing Australia's borders?

Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:32): I thank Senator Cash for that question because it highlights where the opposition are. When they were in govern­ment, they ripped a billion dollars out of the health system. Since we have been in government, we have made unprecedented investments in health, education and of course training. Whereas what you now complain about is your inability to be able to invest. Where are your policies on health?

Senator Bernardi: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I am finding it very difficult to hear Minister Ludwig because Minister Wong is screaming very loudly into the minister's microphone. I would ask you to ask her to please desist.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Bernardi, I have already drawn to the attention of all honourable senators the fact that there is too much noise in this chamber, on a number of occasions during question time. It does not assist question time when people debate the matter across the chamber with each other. It takes two to argue sometimes—most times it does; sometimes it might be just one. I can assure you I would be much happier if there was a little more quiet in the chamber so that the minister can be heard in silence. If people wish to debate the issue, it can be debated post question time.

Senator LUDWIG: It is clear that on 29 November 2011 contract variations, not new contracts, for these did appear on the AusTender website. This issue has been available for the opposition to look at since 2 December. They choose to raise it on the back of the Daily Telegraph argument. Of course, that reflects the speed of the opposition to get to the nub of the issue. The increase in the detention services does reflect— (Time expired)