Saga becoming a running sore for Giles and Labor

Andrew Giles, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.

Labor’s policy and political crisis over the release of convicted criminals from immigration detention is about to enter its six month and nothing has changed except the sense of growing confusion.

Andrew Giles as Immigration Minister still can’t answer a question in parliament; every week brings a new disclosure about visa bungles; released detainees – who include murderers, rapists and child sex offenders – are being arrested and charged with new crimes; and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil is saying there is more confusion to come.

Giles’ valiant declaration that the government opposed the release of detainees in the Federal Court and will continue to do so in the High Court only days after O’Neil conceded there were more losses likely to come was simply putting his impotence on display.

Peter Dutton continues to probe how many more people will be released, how many have been released without proper visas, how many have been released without electronic monitoring, and how many have been arrested since they were released. Plus, there has been no attempt to take responsibility or act before the problems emerge.

It is still somebody’s else fault: the High Court has ruled and there’s nothing that can be done says Giles but to fight on; the “technical” blunder in the visas which meant they all had to be cancelled and reissued was really the fault of the previous Coalition governments although it was actually the responsibility of the Gillard Labor government; and the opposition is too negative and won’t seek a briefing.

In this fog of confusion there is one thing that is clear and that is that Giles is expected to continue to take a daily hit for the Albanese team and, as shadow minister Dan Tehan’s punching bag, Giles simply just has to make the best of his pain and embarrassment.