Subjects: Closure of Manus RPC; Bank Royal Commission, Cabinet.
E&EO…………………………………………………………………………………………..
LAURA JAYES:
Minister, we've heard conflicting reports about what's happening on Manus Island. What your understanding?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Laura, thanks very much for having us on the show.
Look, just by way of update, obviously there was a police operation this morning. PNG police decided that they would enter the Regional Processing Centre and like us, the PNG authorities want people to leave the centre and go to the new $10 million facility.
All of the services are provided there including medical, food, etc and we don't want people squatting on the military base which is where the Regional Processing Centre is.
So a number of people, I'm advised, have been moved and we would expect the number which – up until this morning, had been about 370 people within that centre – would drop obviously well below that now.
So there's a lot of work that's ongoing and the operation is still underway, but it is important that we get people out of the Regional Processing Centre into much better accommodation as quickly as possible.
LAURA JAYES:
So were people forcibly removed by the police and officials from PNG there this morning and I think you're telling me that some still remain there and are refusing to leave?
PETER DUTTON:
Yes Laura, some of the concern is around the agitators. Like within any of these sorts of events, you'll have key people, people of influence and I think there are some people who wanted to volunteer to leave, but felt that they were required to stay. I think that's difficult and hopefully people will voluntarily leave.
We don't want to see any violence, the PNG authorities don't want to see any violence, we don't want to see the police assaulted up there. We want to make sure that people can move peacefully and a number of people have already moved of their own accord and otherwise I understand there have been some arrests there as well…
LAURA JAYES:
…okay, do we know how many arrests, because we saw reports of Behrouz Boochani, the journalist there, the Iranian journalist there being arrested. Is he among a number of arrests?
PETER DUTTON:
Well, as I say Laura, the operation is still underway so we don't have the final details, but my understanding is that a number of people, a small number of people, have been arrested including the individual to whom you refer.
So, they're matters for the PNG police to comment on, but for us, we just want to make sure we get people out of the processing centre as quickly as possible.
They have trashed the accommodation there, they're living in squalor-type conditions. I don't want people living in that condition and unfortunately we're still getting advocates who are telling people not to engage, not to work with the authorities and really it's quite counter-productive.
We want people into the new facility and we hope that the rest that remain will move as quickly as possible.
LAURA JAYES:
Minister, are you concerned, seeing some of the video that's coming out via social media of this operation this morning – it did descend into violence, there was some violence and the trashing of the facilities there – but are you concerned that this might escalate and is there anything that you can do, or are you doing anything to make sure it doesn't?
PETER DUTTON:
Laura, there have been lots of reports around homemade weapons, a stockpile of improvised devices that could have been used against the police. Threats have been made against the police. The racist taunts towards the police as well – we've seen evidence of that over a period of time.
So I have been concerned that people want to escalate the mood within the centre because there seems to be this view that if there can be a clash with the police then somehow that footage being played in Australia will change the Australian Government resolve in relation to not allowing people off Manus to settle in Australia…
LAURA JAYES:
….it may not be changing your resolve Minister, nor the Government's resolve, but do you think your losing the court of public opinion here? Do you think there's a shift in the views of the Australian public?
PETER DUTTON:
No I don't. I mean, we've had overwhelming support for the actions that we've taken.
If your bulletin was filled with stories with boats capsizing at sea, kids drowning again, kids in detention, then I think the public would be angry as they were when that happened under the Labor Government.
We've not had a death at sea in over three years, I've got every child out of detention, we've closed 17 detention centres.
But the fact is that people-smugglers are looking at the moment at what's happening on Manus and if they can pitch to people in Indonesia that you can wait on Manus for a couple of years and then come to Australia, I tell you now that the boats will be back in action and we would have the drownings at sea again.
I think the public understand what's going on here and the public understand that we've spent millions of dollars building these new facilities, providing medical support...
LAURA JAYES:
Just on those new facilities, because we spoke to Tim Costello in the last hour. He has been on a fact-finding mission with World Vision into the new facilities and he says they're not finished, the basic services aren't there, it's not just a bit of security fencing, he says part of this facility is just unliveable?
PETER DUTTON:
No well, it's untrue. The fact is the East Lorengau centre has been constructed and open over the last few years. There have been 70 odd people living there, there's capacity for 400, we're nowhere near that capacity. The numbers now are – pre the activities today – are just under or just around 200 people, so there's plenty of capacity to move people into East Lorengau.
There's a new facility of Hillside Haus where the non-refugees will go to. There are two other facilities that have been provided for overflow, if you like, once the numbers hit 400 at East Lorengau.
I don't want people in tents and if Tim is pointing to paths that haven't been polished or tiles that haven't been laid in a BBQ area or something like that if they're a cosmetic issues then they can raise those. But let's be serious about it, the taxpayers have spent million and millions of dollars supporting the PNG authorities in establishing these facilities and people need to move out of the processing centre because it's unacceptable that they continue to squat there.
LAURA JAYES:
OK just two final questions.
One on the Royal Commission into banking. We have now a number of Nationals, backbenchers that certainly want to see a Commission of Inquiry at the very least.
David Speers has spoken to John Howard about this and he has said in an interview that going down that path would be rank socialism. Do you agree?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Laura, I'm the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection as we've just established in your interview so I've plenty on my plate, I'll let the Treasurer and the Prime Minister or the Finance Minister comment on that…
LAURA JAYES:
…sure we know this has been well established and we know it was discussed in Cabinet because we've seen some helpful leaks so what would you say to your colleagues who do want to see a Royal Commission?
PETER DUTTON:
Well that's the other reason I wouldn't comment on it because I don't comment on speculation around what's discussed in Cabinet, I save my comments for in there and I'll let the Treasurer talk about these matters, I presume he won't be talking about stuff within my portfolio because it's not within his lane so we've got defined responsibilities and as I've said I save my comments on any of these matters for the Cabinet discussion. I just don't have any public comment to make on matters within other Minister's portfolios.
LAURA JAYES:
Would you feel comfortable with the investigation into Cabinet leaks then?
PETER DUTTON:
Laura, again these are issues for the Prime Minister or the Cabinet Secretary.
Everybody takes very seriously any leaks from Cabinet, we need to make sure that there is a discussion that is frank and that's confidential because that's necessary and the reality is that there have been many discussions over the course of the Turnbull Government that have resulted in decisions that are good for our country and you need to have frank discussions where you can express your views in favour or against, try nuanced positions, that's the role of Cabinet and its worked very effectively. If there has been a leak then that's an issue for others to discuss.
LAURA JAYES:
This is usually something we see in the dying days of the past three Governments, is this the case now?
PETER DUTTON:
No it's not. I've been very clear about my support for Malcolm Turnbull. There is a lot of good the Government is doing. There's a lot of white noise around citizenship and same-sex marriage and other issues at the moment I think once we get our way through that I think the Government can demonstrate what we want to do for families on cutting their electricity prices, what we want to help families on in relation to cutting taxes and making sure they've got more money in their pockets so they can support their family.
Similarly, the support for business as well and from my perspective making sure that the national security of our country remains absolutely paramount which is what I continue to do.
LAURA JAYES:
Ok Immigration Minister Peter Dutton we thank you for your time.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks Laura.
[ends]
