DETAINEES LESS THAN HUMAN

Detention centre operator GSL has been fined AU$500,000 for allegedly denying detainees food, water and toilet-breaks while they were being transported from Victoria to South Australia. Labor blames the government:

Labor's Human Services spokesman, Kelvin Thompson, says the former and current Immigration Ministers have created a culture in which asylum seekers can be seen as less than human.

"They are the people who have been demonising asylum seekers these past few years," he said.

"They are the people who have contracted out the management of detention centres from public servants to the private company."

The government can be thankful it didn't let GSL go ahead with the planned petting zoo.