The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) has been subject to intense scrutiny this year. There have been various independent reports and internal reviews undertaken into aspects of the Department’s immigration detention function. The Committee notes that the Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into the administration and operation of the Migration Act 1958, which includes an examination of the outsourcing of management and service provision at immigration detention centres, and the adequacy of mental health care and other services provided to people in immigration detention. This report is expected to be tabled in December 2005.

The Committee did not wish to duplicate the work of these wider inquiries. However, the tabling of Audit Report No. 1, 2005-2006, Management of the Detention Centre Contracts – Part B provided an opportunity for the Committee to undertake a focused examination of certain aspects of DIMIA’s detention centre contract management.

The Committee commends the Australian National Audit Office’s rigorous and detailed work already undertaken and continuing. The Committee also welcomes the openness with which DIMIA has been willing to engage in discussions.

The Committee is hopeful that action to date and the range of initiatives planned will address many of the problematic aspects of the management of the detention centre contracts, including DIMIA’s ability to put in place performance information and monitoring systems to ensure that detainee needs and agency responsibilities are met. The Committee will continue to monitor developments in this area.

Don Randall MP

Chairman

Membership of the Committee

Chair	Mr Don Randall MP
Deputy Chair	Senator Linda Kirk
Members	Senator Andrew Bartlett	Senator Stephen Parry (from 1 July 2005)
	Senator Alan Eggleston	Dr Andrew Southcott MP
	Mr Laurie Ferguson MP	Mr Tony Burke MP (from 6 September to 11 October 2005)
	Ms Julia Irwin MP (from 2 December 2004 to 10 May 2005, and from 11 October 2005)	Mr Roger Price MP (from 10 May to 6 September 2005)
	Mr Michael Keenan MP	Senator Tsebin Tchen (to 30 June 2005)
	Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence MP

Committee Secretariat

Secretary	Ms Joanne Towner
Inquiry Secretary	Ms Paola Cerrato-D’Amico (until 9 September 2005) Ms Kate Tubridy (from 9 September 2005)
Research Officer	Ms Samantha Mannette
Administrative Officer	Ms Jazmine De Roza

List of abbreviations

ACM	Australasian Correctional Management
ACS	Australasian Correctional Services
ANAO	Australian National Audit Office
DIMIA	Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
DSC	Detention Services Contract
GSL	Global Solutions Limited ( Australia) Pty Ltd
IDC	Immigration Detention Centre
IDF	Immigration Detention Facility
IDS	Immigration Detention Standards
IRPC	Immigration Reception and Processing Centre
MOU	Memorandum of Understanding
PIP	Palmer Implementation Plan
PPO	Palmer Programme Office
VFM	Value-for-Money

List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that DIMIA act promptly to develop and implement the changes required to improve the insurance, liability and indemnity regime associated with its detention function.

Recommendation 2

The Committee recommends that the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs refer the progress report on the Palmer Implementation Plan to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration for examination when released.

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Contents

Contents

Foreword

Membership of the Committee

Committee Secretariat

List of abbreviations

List of recommendations