Senator CARR (Victoria—Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) (14:31): I thank the senator for her question. The government has announced that the Australian and Malaysian governments have committed to enter into a landmark transfer agreement under the regional cooperative framework and that this process undermines the efforts of people smugglers to seek to encourage people to undertake very risky journeys to Australia. This in fact is a new initiative to ensure that we are able to take all the necessary steps to highlight the extraordinary dangers of undertaking such a voyage and to indicate to people that this is a counterproductive move and is unlikely to produce the results that people are looking for in terms of finding settlement here, because people will be sent to Malaysia, from which many of them come originally, and will be placed at the back of the queue. What we are seeing for the first time in these arrangements is that the UNHCR will be directly involved— Senator Bob Brown: Mr President, I raise a point of order. The minister was asked directly whether Malaysian officials would come to Australia. The question needs to be answered directly as well. Senator Ludwig: On the point of order, Mr President, Senator Carr has been answering the question. It is a complex issue to describe in detail but Senator Carr has been working through that detail quite specifically in dealing with the issue that he has been asked to respond to. I submit that there is no point of order in this respect. The PRESIDENT: Senator Carr, I draw your attention to the fact that there is 50 seconds remaining on the clock to answer the question that has been asked by Senator Hanson-Young. Senator CARR: I have indicated that for the first time the UNHCR will be involved in the processes involving the Malaysian government. The reports today that the Malaysian High Commissioner is wanting the right to refuse people entry are inaccurate and misleading. While the government cannot comment on the specifics of current diplomatic negotiations, the reports that appeared today are incorrect. What I would have thought the Greens would be particularly interested in is that, for the first time, the UNHCR is involved in terms of the Malaysian government, a point which the UNHCR have made and indicated is a matter of some significance to them. The public comments by their spokesperson have highlighted that fact. (Time expired)