The Coalition will push for a “two-hour review” in the form of a Senate inquiry to investigate the government’s $400 million deal to send former immigration detainees to Nauru.
Opposition trade spokesperson Kevin Hogan said the Coalition would let the legislation pass the House of Representatives, and the Senate inquiry would not delay the deportation of former detainees.
Deputy Nationals leader Kevin Hogan.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“Why we want, like, a two-hour review in the Senate is just to be able to have the opportunity to ask some questions of officials and others to make sure we get the legislation right,” Hogan told Sky News this afternoon.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Friday signed a deal with Nauruan President David Adeang, committing an upfront payment of $408 million, followed by annual payments of $70 million to cover ongoing costs of resettlement. A statement on the Home Affairs website said the detainees’ residence on Nauru would be “long term”.
“This is about option four or five that the government tried to fix this issue,” Hogan said.
“This issue is people who are in Australia, who aren’t citizens, who are committing quite heinous crimes. So we want to make sure that we get this right. And the two hours that we want for a Senate inquiry is about getting those right. We’ll move a couple of amendments as well. We want those discussed.”
Specifics on the cost of the program were included in a transcript from the Nauru parliament’s session on Friday and were seen by this masthead. The Australian government has yet to officially release or confirm the cost of the program.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke last month.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Greens home affairs spokesperson David Shoebridge said his party would offer in principle support to further scrutiny on the deal.
“We will be supporting the greatest amount of transparency we have on both the Nauru deal and the most recent ugly legislative attack that the Albanese government has done on rights to natural justice,” Shoebridge told reporters.
“And we look forward to working with whoever we can in the Senate.”
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