Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister Assisting on Queensland Floods Recovery) (14:54): In respect of the detention policy of this government, while the government believes mandatory detention is essential, our border protection processes also include health, security and identity checks. We are, of course, concerned about the health and welfare of people in immigration detention. Like those opposite, and like refugee advocates and others, we want to see people remain in detention for as little time as possible. And while they are in those detention centres— Senator Cash: Mr President, I raise a point of order in relation to relevance. While I appreciate that the minister is only new to this portfolio, my question was not in relation to mandatory detention itself; it was in relation to the Northam detention centre specifically. I would ask you to ask the minister to be directly relevant to the question. Senator Arbib: Mr President, there is no point of order. The question was broader than just the Northam detention centre. Minister Ludwig is being directly relevant and should be allowed to continue. The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order. Senator LUDWIG: What is important is that there are protocols in place to deal with incidents that arise in detention centres. These are matters on which the Australian Federal Police are developing an MOU with the states and territories to ensure that there are appropriate responses to issues that arise. Those discussions focus on protocol relating to incidents of handover— (Time expired)