February 14, 2024
The federal Opposition has accused Immigration Minister Andrew Giles of being too busy promoting the Voice referendum to attend meetings about the potential release of murderers and sex offenders from immigration detention.
Labor's handling of the saga has been further criticised following revelations Mr Giles did not attend three meetings about the NZYQ High Court case in the lead-up to the November ruling that prompted the release of 149 immigration detainees, including seven murderers, 37 sex offenders and 72 violent criminals.
Senate Estimates heard Home Affairs counsel met with Mr Giles' staff on August 8, September 14 and October 12 last year with the minister not present.
Social media posts show in October Mr Giles was in London filming a video promoting the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
On the day of the September meeting where staff discussed the implications of a potential High Court loss, Mr Giles was pictured at a Voice event in Canberra.
Asked in Question Time yesterday why he did not attend the meetings, Mr Giles said his "No.1 priority has been doing everything . to keep the community safe". "That continues to be my commitment," he said.
But Coalition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said Mr Giles appeared "happy to go out to attend a Voice rally yet doesn't prioritise meeting legal counsel to talk about a case that led to 149 detainees being released from detention, including murderers, sex offenders and violent criminal".
The Opposition continued its attack on the reasons behind the decision to not require 36 individuals to wear electronic ankle bracelets, suggesting it would not be possible to locate former detainees without one.
Mr Giles said all 149 individuals were being "continuously monitored" and a government spokeswoman later provided a statement saying: "Because of the government's strict visa conditions, including reporting requirements and electronic monitoring, the location of all 149 individuals is known." Amid the growing political stoush yesterday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told his colleagues to prepare for a 2024 federal election.
"Get campaign ready and get your message out," he said.
Mr Dutton also called Mr Giles "incompetent" and was "not across his brief".
Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said Australians were at risk because the Albanese government had not applied for a preventative detention order under laws rushed through parliament before Christmas.
"It's been two months now and not a single application has been made," he said. "It's simply not good enough." Mr Giles hit back at the Coalition, accusing Mr Paterson of being misleading about the threshold a preventative detention order request had to meet. "We are working around the clock to ensure that applications are made as soon as possible and ... are successful, not half-baked."
