Canberra Times Wrong

Letter to the Editor - The Canberra Timese
8 June 2005

Dear Sir/Madam

Jack Waterford’s swipe at the Department of Immigration (CT June 7, Informant p.6) is offensive, misleading and wrong.

He uses a number of tired claims by advocates and cobbles them together to attack the department while allowing his personal opinions to override any semblance of journalistic professionalism.

Immigration detention is administrative, not punitive. The department has a duty of care to detainees – spelt out in Immigration Detention Standards – which it takes seriously.

People in immigration detention also have full access to legal representatives and the Australian judicial system to challenge whether their detention is lawful.

Immigration detention is one of the most scrutinised government programs. Facilities are regularly visited by groups including the Immigration Detention Advisory Group, the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Red Cross and Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

If Mr Waterford has any substantive evidence of the outrageous allegations he peddles as facts, the department would be interested to obtain it. Such deceit and misconduct has no place in administration of immigration law.

Articles such as Mr Waterford’s are a personal attack on the integrity of public servants and denigrate the hard work of thousands of people proud to be in the department.

Des Storer
First Assistant Secretary
DIMIA