Jaw-dropping moment Home Affairs minister admits she ‘doesn’t know’ four child sex offenders released from immigration detention are on the streets without tracking bracelets

Home Secretary Clare O’Neil has admitted on breakfast television that she did not know whether four asylum seeker sex offenders released onto the streets by the High Court were wearing braces.

Ms O’Neil struggled to answer a question about whether sex offenders released from immigration detention were wearing ankle bracelets, more than 18 hours after WA’s police commissioner confirmed four offenders in his state did not have the devices.

The Today Show’s Karl Stefanovic asked the minister whether detainees were wearing ankle bracelets or whether the devices were still being rolled out.

‘I’m sure many people have had their curfews and ankle bracelets rolled out. If I may just explain to your viewers, Minister Giles is required by law to review each of these cases on an individual basis,” she said.

Ms O’Neil’s blunder came after Police Commissioner Col Blanch spoke on local radio about the lack of tracking before 3pm on Monday.

Five asylum seekers were released from Yongah Hill immigration detention, bringing the total in WA to 39. Eight of them were convicted of child abuse.

Four have since left Washington, with police revealing they have been unable to track down the four remaining sex offenders and track their whereabouts.

“The four in WA do not have GPS tracking so we don’t have the authority to turn them on,” Commissioner Blanch told local radio.

‘But we will make home visits (and ask) what phone do you have, what computers do you use? We want you to always check in with us.

‘They are under the strictest conditions. If they fail to do so, we will arrest them and charge them with violating their reportable conditions.

‘We can knock on their door day and night and check whether they adhere to those conditions. I can guarantee that we are monitoring these people at the highest level under our current reportable offender regime.”

Despite emergency legislation being passed by Parliament requiring former inmates to wear ankle monitors, there is still no sign of the devices in WA.

Commissioner Blanch said his officers did not have the authority to track down the other detainees as they were “lawfully in the community.”

“The responsibility of WA Police is the reportable offenders – the child sex offenders. All others are the responsibility of the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Police,” he said.

Karl Stefanovic took aim at the government for being unprepared for the Supreme Court’s decision, but Ms O’Neil said she “completely disagreed” with it.

“What I saw was that within a week and a day of a Supreme Court ruling, an Australian government set up a whole new community security regime, a joint police operation and a whole new visa system.

‘I have now been in parliament for more than ten years. I have never seen a government respond to a constitutional decision at this pace.”

Stefanovic took aim at the government for being unprepared for the Supreme Court’s decision, but Ms O’Neil said she “strongly disagreed” with his tone.

Ms O’Neil (pictured during Question Time) struggled to answer the question of whether sex offenders were wearing ankle bracelets, more than 18 hours after WA’s police commissioner confirmed four offenders in his state were not fitted with the devices

Ms O’Neil said it was “highly unlikely” that the entire cohort of 340 people held in immigration detention for more than a year would be released.

“Well, you don’t know, because the Supreme Court makes the decision,” Stefanovic joked.

“Well, Karl, I think you understand that we have a legal system in this country where, as a minister, I can make laws and make decisions,” she replied.

“But ultimately, our country’s Supreme Court is the only body that gets to decide the meaning of the Australian Constitution.

“The Supreme Court has given us an absolute indication that we should continue with this.”

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley also did not answer if detainees in his state wore ankle bracelets when questioned by 2GB’s Mark Levy.

“That’s a federal issue, I haven’t had a briefing on that,” Mr. Daley responded.

“I trust that authorities at the state and federal level will do a very good job in tracking down offenders. We have inmates in NSW coming out of the NSW prison system who are being watched by corrections officers and they are doing a great job.”

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley also did not answer if inmates in his state wore ankle bracelets when questioned by 2GB’s Mark Levy on Wednesday

About 93 detainees have been released since the Supreme Court ruled on November 8 that it was unlawful to keep them in custody indefinitely.

Some of them have committed serious violent and sexual crimes against women and children, as well as leading organized crime and gang figures.

Another 250 immigration detainees, including some who have done “deplorable and abhorrent things,” could be released into the community next year.

After the Supreme Court ruling, the government rushed to pass legislation to impose strict visa restrictions on those released, including requiring them to wear electronic ankle bracelets or other similar devices.