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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4348 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

While recognising the legitimate concerns of government to protect national security, the guidelines state that the detention of asylum seekers-especially children-is inherently undesirable.

Community groups like OXFAM have also issued reports highly critical of the so-called Pacific solution, establishing its inequitable nature and the deterrence basis of the policy, which the Labor Party considers an odious side of the Liberals' regime.

Clearly, the key point of the Liberal policy is deterrence. It aims to deter asylum seekers from exercising their rights under international law and to deter people from seeking asylum in Australia. This form of "wedge"politics is being perpetrated for electoral gain through fostering divisiveness and turning a blind eye to racist attitudes in the community.

Ms Tucker's motion raises a number of important concerns with the current method of processing asylum seekers. The Liberals' policy in this field deserves scrutiny at every level, including a possible judicial inquiry into operations in detention centres. Let us be clear about some of the reasons for closer scrutiny in making processing regimes of whatever form open and accountable. Media are denied access to detention centres, caseworkers are often denied access to asylum seekers, and members of the community generally have great difficulty in communicating with asylum seekers and even visiting.

Countless psychological studies, including studies by the esteemed Dr Zachary Steel, have questioned the practice of detention, particularly in relation to children. Interestingly, the government appears to be recognising that the detention regime is falling apart. Minister Ruddock has announced that more women and children will be released into the community from the Woomera detention centre following the highly successful trial of releasing 40 asylum seekers earlier this year. Other members may be interested to know that these 40 did not abscond, did not disappear and did not cause harm to the rest of the Australian community.

The ACT Labor government has consistently proposed practical reforms here in the territory to try to take the edge off the harsh policies of the federal government and provide all the services we can as a government.

Despite the sentiment of Ms Tucker's motion, which we welcome, the ACT Labor government has already taken action in this jurisdiction to provide appropriate settlement outcomes for refugees who come to the ACT. These include the provision of free English classes, transport to introductory English centres and free child care for refugees attending those classes. These reforms are integral to the successful support of refugees in this community, recognising that refugees are already disadvantaged and that government must address that disadvantage. The Stanhope government is continuing this work through assistance to TPV holders and, more generally, by providing funding and support to the many Canberra community groups which provide frontline services for refugees.

The specifics the ACT government is addressing for asylum seekers include public school education, including access to the introductory English centres for children who have difficulty communicating in English; medical treatment at ACT public hospitals and medical facilities; concessions on a range of ACT government services, including

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