Home affairs minister says disclosing information risks relations with PNG as standoff continues over use of local labour for security contract

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The federal government has refused an order from the Senate to release documents on the health, construction and security services for refugees on Manus Island, saying it would “cause damage to Australia’s international relations with Papua New Guinea” for the details of the offshore immigration regime to be made public.

Little is known about the remuneration and obligations of contracts signed by the Australian government with companies such as Paladin, JDA Wokman, Toll Group, NKW and International Health and Medical Services (IHMS).

One of the contracts causing controversy is that signed with the security firm Paladin Solutions, which is earning $72m for providing security on Manus Island for four months – about $585,000 a day. The contract amount was nearly doubled – from $39m – but extended by a month just before it was due to expire. But Paladin staff have been kicked out by a local security firm, Kingfisher, which says it should have the lucrative contract.

Beyond the wire: 'I hear media and negative comments, but that is not Manus' Read more

In December, the Senate supported an order for the production of documents made by the Nick Xenophon Team senator Stirling Griff and the Greens senator Nick McKim requesting documents and parts of contracts detailing the health, construction and security services to be provided at the Australian-built and controlled immigration centre at West Lorengau.

The home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, this week refused the request, telling the Senate: “I believe the disclosure of the requested material would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to international relations: specifically, Australia’s relations with Papua New Guinea”.

“Unilateral disclosure by Australia of information pertaining to the constitution and services at the three alternative accommodation sites … would undermine PNG’s confidence in its good working relationship with Australia and might reasonably be expected to jeopardise cooperation on people-smuggling matters.”

Griff said the minister’s reasoning “stretches credibility”.

“How does, for example, releasing details of the hours medical staff will work, or the range of medical services to be provided by contractor IHMS risk diplomatic relations?

“We had sought the order to produce documents because we want the truth about what is happening at West Lorengau Haus and the conditions the men are facing there. We wanted to get to the facts.”

Griff said the government was hiding behind the public interest immunity claim.

Speaking from Manus Island, McKim told the Guardian the minister’s refusal to accept the Senate’s order was unacceptable.

“The reasons the minister has given for refusing to release even this basic factual information are completely spurious,” he said. “It’s an admission that Peter Dutton was lying when he said in November the accommodation centres were ready. We knew they were not, from media reports and from the UNHCR, and this is just further proof.”

Meanwhile, the standoff over security at the new Australian-built accommodation centres continues, with refugees and asylum seekers saying their safety has been compromised by the chaos caused by the dispute.



Paladin, co-owned by Australian Craig Thrupp, has a $72m contract to provide security for four months at the three accommodation centres nearby to Lorengau, Manus’s main town.

But local company Kingfisher, owned by Manusian businessman Peter Mochon, is insisting it should have the security contract. This week its staff forcibly took over security at the Manus sites, telling Paladin staff to leave. Some Paladin staff have since been allowed to return.

Officials from the Australian Border Force – which retains ultimate control over the offshore immigration regime and the movement of refugees held on Manus and Nauru – are on Manus attempting to broker a solution.

But the impasse appears no closer to resolution: nearly 50 foreign security guards employed by Paladin have had their visa applications rejected by PNG’s immigration authority.

The PNG government is demanding that security positions be filled by local staff. Visas are only being issued for positions that cannot be filled by locals.

The Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani told the Guardian: “Kingfisher company is in competition with Paladin, because of that they sent all of Paladin staff out.

“Same problem happened 11 November last year. It’s unacceptable that the companies who have responsibility for security are making the situation unsafe.”

Manusians living near detention centres say sewage running on to their land Read more

Some refugees have been warned not to leave the accommodation compounds by the new guards, who told them it is not safe for them.

McKim said the 600 men remaining on Manus had been left in limbo.

“Many of the guys had pinned their hopes on the US resettlement deal. But there has been frustratingly slow progress there. The feeling here is overwhelming one of abandonment, and of uncertainty.”

He said three months after the former immigration detention centre was closed, and those remaining in the centre were forcibly removed from it, the promised new accommodation centres were not yet complete.

The West Haus accommodation centre, in particular, has been the subject of protests from Manus landowners, who have blockaded the centre over untreated sewage flowing on to their land.

“The situation here is a complete shambles. The refugees fear, again, they will be the collateral damage.”