Successful Detention Trial – More Pressure On Government MP's To Support Labor’s Amendment

Media Statement - 20 August 2002

The public release of the successful evaluation of the Woomera Alternate Detention Trial increases the pressure on Government MPs to support the amendment Labor will move next week to get children out from behind the razor wire of high security detention centres.

The Minister's release today confirmed that there had been absolutely no security problems with the Trial and quoted a Woomera township resident saying that the presence of the asylum seekers was ‘unremarkable'.

Labor welcomes this announcement of the Trial's success. We have been calling upon the Minister for more than six months to expand the scheme. Labor also calls upon the Minister to accept the recommendations of his own Immigration Detention Advisory Group (IDAG) that the trial be expanded to include family groups.

Given the extremely positive evaluation of the Trial, I also draw the Minister's attention to ignorant comments made by the Prime Minister on Melbourne radio on 2 August. Questioned about the comments of IDAG member Air Marshal Ray Funnell AC (Retd), on behalf of IDAG, regarding the expansion of the Trial to family groups, the Prime Minister responded:

We have tried the idea of having them out in the community with their mothers and the reaction has been that they don't want to be separated from their fathers. And if you put the whole family out the danger is they just melt into the community. . . our view remains that if you go beyond having your mother and children then you do run the risk that people abscond.

The Prime Minister's statement demonstrated he has no clue whatsoever of how the Woomera Alternate Detention Trial functions. There are no security or absconding issues.

When the House votes on Labor's amendment next week, I trust that the Prime Minister will have taken the time to inform himself on the issue. Otherwise, people will simply conclude that he lacks concern for children in detention.