English’s detention claims disputed

DEPUTY Prime Minister Bill English has drawn criticism for claiming there is no evidence of ‘‘appalling treatment’’ for Kiwis in Australian detention centres, with Labour pressing for a stronger stance on the issue.

Despite the death last month of a New Zealander waiting to be deported from Australia, English told TV3’s Paul Henry he was not aware of any ‘‘shocking or appalling’’ treatment in the centres, and the Australian Government was ‘‘acting consistently’’ with its own laws.

Acting Labour leader Annette King has hit out at English’s remarks, saying the detention of Kiwis was a ‘‘human rights issue’’ that the Government needed to address more strongly.

‘‘If someone taking their own life while waiting to be deported isn’t evidence that something is wrong, I don’t know what is.’’

There had been numerous reports from inside detention centres about bad conditions, with a recent spike in self-harm and attempted suicides at Christmas Island – where almost 200 Kiwis are being held.

‘‘If they were being held in any other foreign jail, I imagine Mr English would be somewhat concerned,’’ King said.

‘‘As it is, it’s taken almost a year for the Government to get off its comfy backside and start talking, and that’s only after publicity around these arrangements forced its hand.’’

Australian detention centres hit the headlines when New Zealander Junior Togatuki, 23, who had lived in Australia most of his life, took his life while waiting to be deported to New Zealand after completing his sentence in Goulburn’s Supermax prison.

Australian Green Party immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young, who has visited the detention centres, told TVNZ’s Q+A at the weekend that the conditions were worse than that of a normal prison, with the Christmas Island centre a six-hour flight from the mainland and allowing prisoners little access to the outside world.

English told Henry the Government was taking the issue seriously, but was not aware of any significant issues with the conditions for detained New Zealanders.

‘‘If there was any evidence that these people who are meant to be on their way back to New Zealand were in appalling conditions, then we would be taking up those individual cases.

‘‘The first duty of the Government is to ensure they are treated properly, and there isn’t any evidence of shocking treatment or appalling treatment.’’

English said Prime Minister John Key had already said he would raise the issue with new Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and the Government had also discussed it with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

However, any attempts to persuade the Australians to improve their position needed to recognise that they were ‘‘acting consistently with their law’’, he said.

‘‘It’s completely unacceptable, but it happens to be the law of Australia . . . to change the situation fundamentally, we have to persuade them to change their law.’’

Annette King

Editorial