Waters, Sen Larissa

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (14:16): My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Australian citizen Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in Guangzhou, China, and has just 10 days left to appeal his verdict. He's been detained in China for 6½ years, and, according to media reports, many of his friends thought he had disappeared. Unlike other cases where Australians have faced the death penalty overseas, there's been no opportunity to mount a public campaign to support Mr Gilespie. Minister, when did the Australian government first become aware of Mr Gilespie's detention and when did you become aware that he faced a possible death sentence?