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Senator Bob Brown Senator for Tasmania

Door left open for Brown visit to Guantanamo Bay

Senator Brown, Monday, 16th October 2006

The government, in consultation with the American administration, is considering a request from Greens Leader Bob Brown to visit David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay next week.

Senator Brown told the Senate today that the new US ambassador Robert D. McCallum Jr, had written to him advising that the Australian government is "the clearing house" for such visits.

Senator Helen Coonan, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, says the government is consulting Washington to see if Senator Brown should "be enabled" to visit Hicks.

"Dozens of US Senators have visited Guantanamo Bay," Senator Brown said.

"If Mr Howard insists on parity, my visit will be equally accommodated. It is high time an Australian MP made the visit. I will, of course, report back to the Parliament," Senator Brown said.

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