Professor Gillian Triggs, president of the Australian Human Rights
Commission, has found that by reason of its policy of the continued
retention of children of asylum seekers, Australia has been and remains
in breach of its international obligations.
This applies to both major
political parties. The legal argument is clear and has not been refuted.
The best the Prime Minister could offer was bluster, condemning the
report as a “transparent stitch-up.” Australia’s Human Rights
Commissioner Tim Wilson conceded that retaining children in detention
was not in anyone’s interest, but provided no justification for
continuing the detention.