Senator Milne: To ask the Ministers listed below (Question Nos *3405-*3406)—With reference to the Indonesian Jakarta Harbourmaster’s report dated 22 October 2001, submitted as an attachment to paragraph (a) of question no. 113 taken on notice during the 2006-07 supplementary budget estimates of the Legal and Constitutional Committee, that was viewed by ‘Australian officials’ in the days following the sinking of Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X (SIEV X):

(1) Did the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or any other government agency, attempt to locate Mr Majid, the captain of the Arta Kencana 38, mentioned in the report as the captain of the vessel that brought 44 of the 45 survivors to Jakarta on 22 October 2001; if not, why not, given that the information the captain could provide on the rescue position could have been used to estimate the probable area of sinking; if so, can details be provided of the officials involved, what actions were undertaken and the dates these actions occurred.

(2) What was the earliest date that any official of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship heard, by any means, that the location of the rescue of SIEV X survivors was reported to be 07 40 00S / 105 09 00E.

*3405 Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs
*3406 Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship