Bowen - a shrinking violet

05/11/10

Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Senator Michaelia Cash, have called on Minister Chris Bowen to urgently meet with the community of Northam and provide answers to the legitimate concerns they raised at a Town Hall meeting last night regarding the impact on the town of the proposed Northam detention centre.

Mr Keenan and Senator Cash, representing Shadow Minister for Immigration Scott Morrison, together with Deputy Federal Opposition Leader Julie Bishop and local Federal MP Judi Moylan, attended the Town Hall meeting in Northam.

Minister Bowen did not attend nor did Senator Kate Lundy, the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration.”

“Minister Bowen needs to take responsibility for the decisions of his Government, instead of sending in departmental bureaucrats as human shields,” Mr Keenan said.

“The Minister is seen as a shrinking violet with something to hide by his failure to attend the Town Hall meeting,” Senator Cash said.  

“It’s time the Minister developed the courage to face concerned residents and answer their legitimate questions regarding the impact on the town of a detention centre housing 1500 male detainees - Australia’s single largest detention centre”.

Mr Keenan and Senator Cash said that the concerns raised at the Town Hall meeting demanded that the Minister come to Western Australia and urgently meet with the Northam community.

“Before taking any further action in relation to the detention centre the Minister must come to Northam and provide the community with answers to their legitimate concerns including why there was no community consultation, and what social and economic impacts the centre will have on the town,” they said.

“The continuing lack of consultation with the Northam community demonstrates this government’s contempt for those people who are directly affected by the decision to open a detention centre in Northam.

“So much for Prime Minister Gillard’s promise of an open and transparent Government.”