Nauru inquiry: Transfield unable to answer basic questions about operations
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Version 0 of 1. Senior executives of Transfield Services, the Australian company running the detention centre on Nauru, have been unable to answer basic questions about its operations on the island and allegations of sexual assault, and may face being recalled to a Senate inquiry. A Senate inquiry into serious allegations of assault and abuse at the Nauru centre began on Tuesday with the first of a number of public hearings. Related: Nauru sex assault allegations not reported to workplace watchdog Submissions to the inquiry have revealed serious concerns about the wellbeing of asylum seekers on the island, with claims that pregnant women have been forced to create makeshift toilets and are afraid of going to the bathroom at night. On Tuesday Transfield Services, which holds a $2bn contract for operational, maintenance and welfare services on Manus and Nauru, appeared before the Senate inquiry for its first public hearings. But three senior officers, general manager of logistics Derek Osborn, chief executive of operations Kate Munnings and commercial strategy director Angela Margaret-Williams were unable to answer a series of questions about the serious allegations raised at the centre, instead opting to take most questions on notice. The Labor chair, senator Alex Gallacher said: “A $1.2bn contract over 20 months is going to invite some serious scrutiny … and we look forward to your responses to questions on notice and perhaps your reappearance.” The panel faced a barrage of questions from Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Labor senator Kim Carr about complaints from asylum seekers, incident reporting protocols, clinical depression, power failures and mould on tents in the island. In one extraordinary exchange, Hanson-Young questioned Osborn on the number of allegations of sexual assault or exploitation that had been reported personally to him. Osborn was unable to provide an answer and took the questions on notice. Munnings said: “You’ve asked for a lot of detail and information and we will provide it on notice. We’re not willing to provide inaccurate information.” Osborn said in his opening statement that Transfield was “committed to ensuring our staff and contractors understand and comply with our core values”. Osborn did confirm Transfield was aware of an “incident” that occurred at the centre on Saturday. A woman was found naked in the middle of the main road in Nauru, but the local police say she has not made an allegation of assault. The inquiry also heard evidence from three executives from Wilson Security, which is subcontracted by Transfield Services to manage security. South Pacific general manager John Rogers, security contract manager Brett McDonald and human resources manager Lara Donnini appeared before the inquiry. Related: Nauru detention centre: life inside the asylum seeker compound – in pictures McDonald told the inquiry that locally contracted staff do not have to undergo a working-with-children check, but said they had “specific behavioural questions” and were required to sign a statutory declaration about any criminal background. In response to questions about what steps Wilson Security had taken when they became aware of allegations of assault, Rogers said: “we were aware of a range of claims, and there have been a range of claims made since early in our term in the contract. What I can assure you and the committee is that whenever a claim has been made to us, we’ve appropriately notified both Transfield and the department, and we’ve gone about investigating those claims.” But Rogers later suggested the allegations raised over the last year were only small. “I can only comment on the reports and allegations that have been raised to us, and that is a minimal number,” he said. “The one incident that I can recall is a staff member whose employment was terminated for, on the balance of probability, they had inappropriately handled a transferee”. But McDonald said he was aware of claims that Rogers may not be aware of. When asked by Carr if he could recall incidents in his time on the island where asylum seekers had expressed fears about going to the toilet at night, McDonald was unable to answer. “The engagement I’ve had with transferees over the course of time has been extensive and I’ll have to take that on notice,” he said. The immigration department is to appear before the inquiry later on Tuesday. |