[Greens-Media] Immigration department foots $1,000,000 bill for hospital guards

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

10.08.05

Immigration department foots $1,000,000 bill for hospital guards

In answer to a question on notice by Senator Kerry Nettle the government
has revealed that the immigration department has spent nearly one
million dollars to guard asylum seekers who have been transferred from
Baxter Immigration Detention Facility to Glenside psychiatric hospital.

"The immigration department spent ten times what it spent on psychiatric
care at Glenside hospital on providing guards for mentally ill detainees
in the last financial year to May. This shocking statistic underlines
the warped priorities that the department and minister have in relation
to the health of those in their care," Senator Nettle said.

"The Glenside guards bill for the last financial year to May was
$961,000 nearly ten times the $105,000 paid to South Australian Health
for the health services at Glenside hospital for detainees.

"There was no need to have these guards at Glenside which is a secure
mental health facility, but still the government wasted a million
dollars on providing up to 42 guards to monitor detainees.

"The department has now changed its guarding policy. 

"The Baxter Immigration Detention Facility and the policy of indefinite
mandatory detention is making detainees mentally ill, and until this
policy is changed the tax payer will continue to foot the bill for their
treatment."

Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146

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