❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Premier regarding the release of immigration detainees and the subsequent assault on Ninette Simons. The Premier deflects blame to the previous Liberal-National government and defends his government's community safety record.
AnsweredQoN 265Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IMMIGRATION DETENTION
CENTRES — STATELESS DETAINEES — RELEASE —SIMONS FAMILY
ASSAULT
265. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the charging of a former
immigration detainee with the horrific bashing of 70-year-old Ninette Simons and to the Premier's comments in this
place on 14 November last year when he said that, of the 32 detainees released by the Albanese government into the WA community, the majority were heading to
the eastern states but those who were staying were being closely monitored by
police.
(1) Which agency
or agencies were specifically responsible for briefing the Premier and making
him feel so at ease —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms L. METTAM : Thank you.
(1) Which agency
or agencies were specifically responsible for briefing the Premier and making
him feel so at ease with these dangerous people being released into the
community?
(2) Did the
Premier or any of his government agencies do any due diligence on those clearly
persuasive assurances, or did he just assume that his mates in federal
government would let him down?
The SPEAKER : Before I give
the Premier the call, please do not interject while questions are being asked.
Minister for Police, I asked you not to interject earlier and you have done it
again. It is a final warning for you.
CENTRES — STATELESS DETAINEES — RELEASE —SIMONS FAMILY
ASSAULT
265. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I refer to the charging of a former
immigration detainee with the horrific bashing of 70-year-old Ninette Simons and to the Premier's comments in this
place on 14 November last year when he said that, of the 32 detainees released by the Albanese government into the WA community, the majority were heading to
the eastern states but those who were staying were being closely monitored by
police.
(1) Which agency
or agencies were specifically responsible for briefing the Premier and making
him feel so at ease —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms L. METTAM : Thank you.
(1) Which agency
or agencies were specifically responsible for briefing the Premier and making
him feel so at ease with these dangerous people being released into the
community?
(2) Did the
Premier or any of his government agencies do any due diligence on those clearly
persuasive assurances, or did he just assume that his mates in federal
government would let him down?
The SPEAKER : Before I give
the Premier the call, please do not interject while questions are being asked.
Minister for Police, I asked you not to interject earlier and you have done it
again. It is a final warning for you.
AnswerView source ↗
It was a lengthy question, but I will
try to provide as succinct an answer as I can.
(1)–(2) The
events of that evening—the attack on the Simons family—were
just horrific. We have all seen the injuries, and our hearts go out to that
family. It was highly traumatic. Any form of violence is distressing, but when
it comes to that extreme level of violence, it is very traumatic from not just
a physical point of view, but also an emotional point of view, so I extend my
condolences and sympathies to them.
The
member referenced some comments that I made in relation to the detainees who
were released from the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre and the
Perth Immigration Detention Centre. They were
unfortunately released into the community because the High Court found that the
laws that the Scott Morrison Liberal–National government passed
were hopelessly inadequate and, in fact, invalid. As a result of the
incompetence of the Liberals and Nationals, these people unfortunately had to
be released into the community. That is regrettable.
Obviously, the Western Australia
Police Force is working as closely as it can with the Australian Federal Police
to ensure we can monitor the movements of those particular detainees. As of 6
May, 23 detainees released by the High Court were located in Western Australia,
and 11 of those are subject to electronic monitoring. The Australian Border
Force is responsible for the fitting and electronic monitoring of released detainees. Any identified breaches of
conditions or curfews are allocated to the Australian Federal Police for investigation. This is, fundamentally,
a federal jurisdictional matter. The federal government then sought to
further tighten those laws and that was not successful. It was not successful
because the Liberal and National opposition opposed them, so the last people I will
be lectured by in relation to community safety are the Liberal and National
Parties.
Dr D.J. Honey : What did you
do?
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : I note the
interjection from the member for Cottesloe. He said, ''What did you do?''
We brought in the toughest gun reform laws in the state's history,
which are all about keeping the community safe. I ask the member for Cottesloe
in return, in that matter, on that fundamental community safety matter, what
did you do?
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : I think we know
what you did. You opposed them.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : Once again —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, please desist.
Mr
R.H. COOK : The Liberals and
Nationals opposite opposed our fundamental community safety measure, which is about reforming our gun laws in Western Australia. When it comes to
community safety, I think I know who I would —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Member for Cottesloe, you have not asked this question. I have asked you not to
interject. Premier, I am rather hopeful that your answer is drawing to a conclusion.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
I was simply about to make the observation that when it comes to community
safety, the Liberals and Nationals and the member for Cottesloe are morally
bankrupt.
try to provide as succinct an answer as I can.
(1)–(2) The
events of that evening—the attack on the Simons family—were
just horrific. We have all seen the injuries, and our hearts go out to that
family. It was highly traumatic. Any form of violence is distressing, but when
it comes to that extreme level of violence, it is very traumatic from not just
a physical point of view, but also an emotional point of view, so I extend my
condolences and sympathies to them.
The
member referenced some comments that I made in relation to the detainees who
were released from the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre and the
Perth Immigration Detention Centre. They were
unfortunately released into the community because the High Court found that the
laws that the Scott Morrison Liberal–National government passed
were hopelessly inadequate and, in fact, invalid. As a result of the
incompetence of the Liberals and Nationals, these people unfortunately had to
be released into the community. That is regrettable.
Obviously, the Western Australia
Police Force is working as closely as it can with the Australian Federal Police
to ensure we can monitor the movements of those particular detainees. As of 6
May, 23 detainees released by the High Court were located in Western Australia,
and 11 of those are subject to electronic monitoring. The Australian Border
Force is responsible for the fitting and electronic monitoring of released detainees. Any identified breaches of
conditions or curfews are allocated to the Australian Federal Police for investigation. This is, fundamentally,
a federal jurisdictional matter. The federal government then sought to
further tighten those laws and that was not successful. It was not successful
because the Liberal and National opposition opposed them, so the last people I will
be lectured by in relation to community safety are the Liberal and National
Parties.
Dr D.J. Honey : What did you
do?
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr R.H. COOK : I note the
interjection from the member for Cottesloe. He said, ''What did you do?''
We brought in the toughest gun reform laws in the state's history,
which are all about keeping the community safe. I ask the member for Cottesloe
in return, in that matter, on that fundamental community safety matter, what
did you do?
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : I think we know
what you did. You opposed them.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : Once again —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, please desist.
Mr
R.H. COOK : The Liberals and
Nationals opposite opposed our fundamental community safety measure, which is about reforming our gun laws in Western Australia. When it comes to
community safety, I think I know who I would —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Member for Cottesloe, you have not asked this question. I have asked you not to
interject. Premier, I am rather hopeful that your answer is drawing to a conclusion.
Mr R.H. COOK : Madam Speaker,
I was simply about to make the observation that when it comes to community
safety, the Liberals and Nationals and the member for Cottesloe are morally
bankrupt.
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