Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Knowing now that the Prime Minister of PNG has backed out of the original resettlement deal, which poor nation will the Australian government choose next to dump refugees on?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First of all, can I disabuse the honourable senator of using the word 'dumping' people on certain nations because, when you are talking about dumping people, that actually reflects on the people about whom you speak.

Can I indicate that the processing of asylum seeker applications is underway in Papua New Guinea. The government there have indicated they will be in a position to start resettling people by about May of this year, but let me also be very clear, none of them will be coming to Australia. The agreement with Papua New Guinea is very clear. Asylum seekers will be resettled in Papua New Guinea and if there are any other nations that are prepared to get involved with that then those opportunities will, of course, be pursued. People found not to be refugees will overstay in detention or they will be returned to their home country.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. Considering that recent unrest inside the Manus Island detention camp was attributed directly to the lack of certainty regarding resettlement, is it not reckless of the Australian government to increase that uncertainty again and threaten to send the majority of yet-to-be assessed refugees home?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that the makers of Sea Patrol are in some real strife because there have been no boats arriving for the past 95 days, so they will not have as much material to deal with as they used to, according to Senator Hanson-Young. If I can turn to the kernel of her question about the uncertainty and the treatment, I can say to the honourable senator that in those 95 days that no boats have arrived we can also be relatively certain that there have been no drownings at sea.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How do you know that? It's all top secret! How would you know?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is why I said 'relatively certain' because when you open the floodgates—and I can understand Senator Carr's sensitivity here, because it was Labor's policy that saw over 1,000 people drowned at sea, courtesy of the criminal people smugglers whose enterprises the Labor Party unwittingly— (Time expired)

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a final supplementary question: what is the government trying to hide and why did it quash the PNG inquiry into the human rights conditions on the Manus Island detention camp?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure the people of Papua New Guinea would be horrified at the assertion that the Australian nation-state could somehow quash something in the independent nation-state of Papua New Guinea, and what that indicates is the sort of colonial attitude that Senator Hanson Young believes that Papua New Guinea operates under, that they will do what Australia tells them to. They are an independent nation, a proud nation, that will make their own determinations in these matters and they do not need their reputation trashed by the likes of you, Senator.