Child detention study two years too late, says Gillian Triggs Australian Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs in Sydney yesterday. THE Australian Human Rights Commission should have considered an inquiry into asylum-seeker children in detention under the former Labor government when numbers were actually rising, the commissions president has admitted. Gillian Triggs said she accepted criticism that the timing of the commissions current inquiry, announced yesterday, was off by about two or three years -- but blamed her predecessor and the election year for the delay. Professor Triggs also acknowledged the political nature of the move, saying that, having held off launching an inquiry during Labors final period in government and the early months of the Abbott administration, it was now time to start using the influence we have. I think one could say, of course an inquiry should have been held two or three years ago, or something the commission could have considered doing, she said. My predecessor Catherine Branson decided what issues were important. Ive been president for 18 months so I am accountable for those 18 months. Tony Abbott told the ABCs 7.30 program last night he was a little disappointed the inquiry was not done at a time when the problem was getting worse under the former government. But Professor Triggs said the agency had only limited resources and Ms Branson had decided a report into Indonesian people-smugglers who had been imprisoned as minors should be commissioned. That report was released in July 2012 but then, according to Professor Triggs, she decided not to pursue a formal inquiry into children in detention because the nation was heading into an election year, even though she considered the PNG solution and the no-advantage asylum policies egregious breaches of our human rights obligations. The commissions first report into child detention in Australia noted a peak of 842 children held under the Howard government in September 2001. That number was passed under the Gillard government in November 2010, when 883 children were in detention. It passed 1000 for the first time under Labor in January 2011 and reached a high of almost 2000 last July, two months before the federal election. It is estimated there are about 1028 children in asylum detention in Australia and Nauru. Both the former and current federal governments have endured sustained criticism from human rights advocates about the mental, physical and emotional trauma suffered by asylum-seekers, particularly families and their children. Ms Branson told The Australian she did not launch an official inquiry, despite protests from advocates and political parties against Labors detention policies, because the commission was receiving appropriate information from the then Department of Immigration and Citizenship. We were constantly monitoring the treatment of children in detention and I always found the department to be very responsive and cooperative in helping us do that, Ms Branson said. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told Sydneys 2GB radio station yesterday he did not know why the commission had waited so long for an inquiry. Well thats for the commission to explain but they engaged with the department over that period of time, he said. There is some suggestion I understand that my department hasnt been engaging with the commission. I dont accept that. We continue to engage with them. I met with the Human Rights Commissioner not that long ago and we discussed a whole range of issues and I am happy to keep meeting with them. Professor Triggs said she and her colleagues felt that, after the Coalition had had five months in power, it was time for us to launch an inquiry. We have given them (the Coalition) a fair go and its now time to start using the influence we have to try to find ways of getting these children out, or at least into community detention, Professor Triggs said. Incoming Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson, who starts in the role this month, told The Australian it would have been desirable to have a more prompt inquiry. The commission announced its inquiry would reassess the conditions and processes that kept asylum-seeker children in immigration detention, a decade on from its first report in 2004. Professor Triggs said she would visit every detention centre with the exception of Nauru, which remained outside the commissions jurisdiction. After 18 months of unsuccessful pleading to ministers and department heads to be allowed to visit Nauru in her official capacity, she received a letter from Mr Morrison saying she was welcome to go as a private citizen. But that really defeats the purpose, she said. Professor Triggs said she sensed the Australian public was very happy with the stop-the-boats policies and the fact fewer people were drowning at sea.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 23:23:28 +0000
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