Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR (Gorton—Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) (15:01): I thank the honourable member for his question. I can assure the House and assure the honourable member that national security is the most important priority of this government. I can assure the House that our security agency, ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and the department work very closely together to ensure that our people are kept safe. For that reason we can assure this House that we will continue to ensure there is rigour when we make assessments. What people do understand is that when we have people arrive in such a fashion—that is through irregular maritime arrivals—there are assessments for security, for identity and for health purposes. That occurs so as to ensure that, if we were to release people, we would release people in an appropriate manner. In so far as the matter in question that has been raised by the honourable member is concerned— Mr Robb interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Goldstein does not have a right to continually interject. Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR: at no time has that person been out of detention in the entire period he has been in Australia. Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting— The SPEAKER: Nor does the member for Mackellar! Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR: It would be misleading for the honourable member in asking the question to suggest that the person in question has been out of detention. He has not been out of detention. Further to that, there has also been surveillance and monitoring of that person while in detention. There are a number of things that I will not disclose and should not disclose because they are matters of national security. We have a convention of providing briefings that we are very happy to extend to the opposition, of course provided that, if we do allow such a briefing, they do not disclose those details publicly, which happened last week by the shadow Attorney-General after being briefed by— Mr Pyne: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am sure all of this is very interesting, but he was asked why the Jihadist in question remained in the Adelaide Hills after 30 August last year and it was true he was only moved when it appeared in the media. The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister has the call. Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR: As I was saying, we have ensured that the person has been detained at all times. That was the advice I received from my department. The department continues to work with the Australian Federal Police and ASIO to ensure that our people are kept safe. It would be absolutely outrageously misleading for the honourable member to suggest otherwise. Further to that, we do not want to reflect on the hardworking men and women of our agencies. They do a wonderful job. This question insinuates that somehow those agencies failed us. They did not fail us. For that reason the honourable member should rethink what he wants to be putting to me in question time if he is suggesting and impugning the good name of our agencies.