‘Total shambles’: Labor govt ‘unwilling and unprepared’ to deal with immigration detainees

The Labor government is in “total shambles” over immigration detainees because it is “unwilling and unprepared” to deal with these issues, Shadow Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister James Paterson says. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has denied claims of a cover-up after refusing to reveal if more convicted criminals have been released from immigration detention over the summer. “That was an embarrassing performance this morning by the Prime Minister – either he doesn’t know, or he thinks the Australian people are so stupid that he will get away with answers like that,” Mr Paterson told Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond. “The Prime Minister wasn’t able to answer basic, straightforward questions about this. “He’s got his Home Affairs Minister on extended leave; he’s got his Immigration Minister who is acting as the Home Affairs Minister, but apparently, in witness protection because he hasn’t been doing any media … about this. “This is a total shambles and a cover-up, and it’s obvious why – the government is embarrassed by its own failures, it’s been unwilling and unprepared to deal with these issues, it hasn’t even used … the Preventative Detention Scheme that the parliament rushed through by Christmas to protect the community.”