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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2015/nov/09/pressure-on-peter-dutton-to-report-details-of-refugee-death-politics-live
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| Pressure on Peter Dutton to report details of refugee's death – politics live | Pressure on Peter Dutton to report details of refugee's death – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.43pm GMT22:43 | |
| Labor’s Richard Marles has put out a statement on the death of Fazel Chegini and the subsequent riots. | |
| Labor is aware of the death of a man from the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. | |
| This is a tragic incident and our thoughts go to the family and friends of this man. | |
| We understand this is now the subject of a coronial inquiry. It is important we determine exactly what happened and what the circumstances of his death were. | |
| It is also appropriate that this process is conducted with transparency. | |
| Labor has sought a briefing from the department of immigration and border protection into the details of this incident. | |
| Labor is also aware of reports about unrest at the Christmas Island facility following this incident. | |
| The government needs to immediately provide an assurance that people within this facility are safe. | |
| There needs to be greater transparency of all Australian funded facilities. | |
| Labor would put in place independent oversight of all Australian funded facilities. | |
| 10.35pm GMT22:35 | |
| Shalailah Medhora | |
| The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, has spoken to reporters on the Christmas Island disturbance. He said the situation is volatile and needs to be investigated. | |
| We have grave concerns about what’s happening on Christmas Island. This is a stain on our national character. We’ve got a policy now that is morally unsustainable, that is financially unsustainable...This is something that Malcolm Turnbull needs to demonstrate some leadership on. | |
| The Greens will work with the government on changing asylum seeker policies, he said. | |
| I’ll be talking to Malcolm Turnbull to let him know that I’m prepared to work with him to change our current system of offshore detention to ensure that it is more decent and more compassionate...We are pushing people to breaking point....This is a symptom of a government policy that is now in crisis. | |
| 10.20pm GMT22:20 | |
| Michelle Grattan of The Conversation, has addressed the issue of the royal commission, notwithstanding his sigh of relief at the news on Friday. | |
| The details of union corruption and thuggery that have come out at the commission are appalling. It is true, as Shorten and Labor keep saying, that the commission was set up as a political exercise with him as one of its targets. But that does not alter the fact that it has exposed shocking conduct. | |
| Some of the worst behaviour has involved the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). | |
| Surely that union should be disaffiliated by the ALP, or at least have its affiliation suspended until there is clear evidence the situation has been rectified. | |
| But here’s the problem. | |
| But the CFMEU forms part of Shorten’s power base. It was vital at this year’s ALP national conference in helping him with the numbers on key issues, most notably the policy that allows a future Labor government to turn back asylum seeker boats. | |
| 10.14pm GMT22:14 | |
| If you can hark back to your carefree hours on Friday night, you will remember that the trade union royal commission effectively cleared opposition leader Bill Shorten of any wrong doing in regard to his time at the head of the AWU. | |
| Commissioner Dyson Heydon said the information dump – commonly known in the trade as taking out the trash – at 8pm on Friday night was not intended to cause any “disrespect” but was in keeping with his timetable. His defence amounted to commission staff being really, really busy. | |
| Bill Shorten, when asked by reporters in Perth on Saturday afternoon what he made of the timing, said it spoke for itself. | |
| Well you’re experienced members of the media, if something’s coming out at 8.00 at night, I’m not going to speculate, but it does speak for itself. | |
| In spite of the findings, Shorten was not cut any slack by one old stager. | |
| Former NSW Labor treasurer Michael Costa, a regular critic of his old party, has criticised Shorten for failing to use the commission to reform Labor and get rid of undue union influence. | |
| Updated at 10.38pm GMT | |
| 9.55pm GMT21:55 | 9.55pm GMT21:55 |
| Back to the parliamentary agenda, the following bills are on the program today: | Back to the parliamentary agenda, the following bills are on the program today: |
| Updated at 10.30pm GMT | |
| 9.48pm GMT21:48 | 9.48pm GMT21:48 |
| If there is a single question raised by the death of Fazel Chegeni, it is this one: | If there is a single question raised by the death of Fazel Chegeni, it is this one: |
| The young man who died on Christmas Is was found to be a refugee years ago. So why was he in detention, exactly? | The young man who died on Christmas Is was found to be a refugee years ago. So why was he in detention, exactly? |
| 9.45pm GMT21:45 | 9.45pm GMT21:45 |
| Reports of riots at Christmas Island | Reports of riots at Christmas Island |
| A detainee has told Alex Lee at Buzzfeed “everything’s on fire” at the Christmas Island detention centre, after the death of Fazel Chegeni. Riots have involved 100-150 people. | |
| They ripped off the walls, broke into the canteen and stole cigarettes. They’ve broken into the offices, and they’ve got the fire extinguishers and they’re smashing all the cameras in this place. I’m just laying low. I’m not afraid right now but I’m afraid of what’s going to happen – what will be the repercussions from this? ... I was meant to have an appointment with immigration today, that’s not going to happen now. | |
| Updated at 10.23pm GMT | |
| 9.39pm GMT21:39 | 9.39pm GMT21:39 |
| Parliament starts at 10am this morning. | Parliament starts at 10am this morning. |
| Environment minister Greg Hunt is at the talks before the climate talks in Paris. | Environment minister Greg Hunt is at the talks before the climate talks in Paris. |
| Spoke at #PreCOP in Paris today about our commitment to tackling climate change & keeping warming to below 2 degrees pic.twitter.com/G5u6KxcSKF | Spoke at #PreCOP in Paris today about our commitment to tackling climate change & keeping warming to below 2 degrees pic.twitter.com/G5u6KxcSKF |
| 9.29pm GMT21:29 | 9.29pm GMT21:29 |
| Refugee's body found at bottom of cliffs away from detention centre, Immigration department confirms | |
| Another statement just released from the department on the death of Fazel Chegeni: | Another statement just released from the department on the death of Fazel Chegeni: |
| The department can confirm a disturbance in progress at the Christmas Island immigration detention centre. The department and its service providers are at the centre, working together to assess and resolve the situation. While there are reports of damage inside the centre its perimeter remains secure. There are no reports of any injuries. | |
| The department is working with its partners to restore the good order of the centre. Any criminal offences will be referred to the police for investigation. | |
| The disturbance follows an incident on Saturday (November 7) in which a detainee escaped from the centre. A search and rescue operation was immediately undertaken, however, the escapee’s body was later discovered by search and rescue teams on Sunday at the bottom of island cliffs away from the centre. The cause of his death is not currently known and a report is being prepared for the coroner. | |
| The department will make further comments as events unfold throughout the day. | |
| Updated at 10.20pm GMT | |
| 9.20pm GMT21:20 | 9.20pm GMT21:20 |
| Detainees allege refugee found dead near perimeter fence, New Zealand MP reports | Detainees allege refugee found dead near perimeter fence, New Zealand MP reports |
| Shalailah Medhora | Shalailah Medhora |
| New Zealand Labor MP Kelvin Davis, who visited the detention centre a few weeks ago, said that Kiwis on Christmas Island have asked for help. | New Zealand Labor MP Kelvin Davis, who visited the detention centre a few weeks ago, said that Kiwis on Christmas Island have asked for help. |
| He has spoken to New Zealand detainees housed on the island. The disturbance, he said, started after an Iranian detainee asked a guard what happened to the dead Iranian-Kurdish refugee. The guard assaulted the man and other asylum seekers retaliated, Davis said. | He has spoken to New Zealand detainees housed on the island. The disturbance, he said, started after an Iranian detainee asked a guard what happened to the dead Iranian-Kurdish refugee. The guard assaulted the man and other asylum seekers retaliated, Davis said. |
| They’re scared, they’ve asked me to try and get New Zealand consulate people over to Christmas Island to be witness to the injuries that they believe they’re going to receive in the coming days. | They’re scared, they’ve asked me to try and get New Zealand consulate people over to Christmas Island to be witness to the injuries that they believe they’re going to receive in the coming days. |
| Detainees “feared the worst” had happened to the Kurdish man, Davis said. | Detainees “feared the worst” had happened to the Kurdish man, Davis said. |
| If he was out for a couple of days and on the run, he wouldn’t have been found near the perimeter of the detention centre, and there’s nowhere to run on Christmas Island either ... So there’s a lot of grey areas. I think there’s quite a bit of propaganda coming out from both sides. | If he was out for a couple of days and on the run, he wouldn’t have been found near the perimeter of the detention centre, and there’s nowhere to run on Christmas Island either ... So there’s a lot of grey areas. I think there’s quite a bit of propaganda coming out from both sides. |
| The behaviour of guards isn’t helping, he warned. | The behaviour of guards isn’t helping, he warned. |
| They’re scared that these guys will come in with batons waving, rather than trying to calm the situation in the first instance ... I don’t think that the situation will be helped if they come in guns blazing, so to speak. | They’re scared that these guys will come in with batons waving, rather than trying to calm the situation in the first instance ... I don’t think that the situation will be helped if they come in guns blazing, so to speak. |
| Most detainees are now huddled together outside the detention centre on a sports ground, Davis said. | Most detainees are now huddled together outside the detention centre on a sports ground, Davis said. |
| There’s safety in numbers there and they want to be outside. | There’s safety in numbers there and they want to be outside. |
| Updated at 10.06pm GMT | Updated at 10.06pm GMT |
| 9.07pm GMT21:07 | 9.07pm GMT21:07 |
| Good morning political meerkats, | Good morning political meerkats, |
| When I drove into a watermelon sunrise the day seemed calm enough, but it was a ruse. | When I drove into a watermelon sunrise the day seemed calm enough, but it was a ruse. |
| There are many items on the political agenda. | There are many items on the political agenda. |
| At the top is the death of a refugee, believed to be Fazel Chegeni, who was in his 30s. | At the top is the death of a refugee, believed to be Fazel Chegeni, who was in his 30s. |
| Gordon Taylor, shire president of Christmas Island, has told the ABC he was disappointed the immigration department had “allowed rumour to spread”. The government’s information shutters have gone down, even though this is an on-land issue. | Gordon Taylor, shire president of Christmas Island, has told the ABC he was disappointed the immigration department had “allowed rumour to spread”. The government’s information shutters have gone down, even though this is an on-land issue. |
| Now there are reports of rioting on the island and suggestions the staff at the centre have gone AWOL. | Now there are reports of rioting on the island and suggestions the staff at the centre have gone AWOL. |
| This is the statement from the immigration department: | This is the statement from the immigration department: |
| The department can confirm a disturbance at Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. | The department can confirm a disturbance at Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. |
| The department and its service providers are working together to resolve the situation. | The department and its service providers are working together to resolve the situation. |
| The department is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for detainees, and maintaining the good order of detention facilities. | The department is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for detainees, and maintaining the good order of detention facilities. |
| Any criminal offences will be referred to the police. | Any criminal offences will be referred to the police. |
| No injuries have been reported. It would not be appropriate to make further detailed comments on matters that are subject to ongoing operations. | No injuries have been reported. It would not be appropriate to make further detailed comments on matters that are subject to ongoing operations. |
| With border force staff striking today and causing delays at airports, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, is in high demand. He has yet to be sighted. But rest assured we are on high alert – like a meerkat – for any further details. | With border force staff striking today and causing delays at airports, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, is in high demand. He has yet to be sighted. But rest assured we are on high alert – like a meerkat – for any further details. |
| Parliament resumes for the week. There is more counter-terrorism legislation on the agenda this week, including the bill to remove Australian citizenship from dual nationals suspected of terrorism. | Parliament resumes for the week. There is more counter-terrorism legislation on the agenda this week, including the bill to remove Australian citizenship from dual nationals suspected of terrorism. |
| And we await with bated breath the Charles and Camilla Show, which hits the national capital on Wednesday. | And we await with bated breath the Charles and Camilla Show, which hits the national capital on Wednesday. |
| Stick with us, join the conversation below or on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers. | Stick with us, join the conversation below or on the Twits @gabriellechan and @mpbowers. |
| Updated at 10.05pm GMT | Updated at 10.05pm GMT |