If you haven’t been following the unfolding debacle of the “Malaysian Solution” Crikey has a good primer.
But The Australian has the fascinating tale of how contracted Canberra legal aid lawyer Simon Jackson got the call from Christmas Island that started the High Court drama.
In a sworn affidavit, a copy of which has been received by The Australian, Canberra Legal Aid lawyer Simon Jackson said the drama began when he received a voicemail at the weekend from a woman identified as Annabelle O’Brien, an employee of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, alerting him to an imminent transfer of asylum-seekers to Malaysia.
A confused Mr Jackson tried to call the switchboard on Christmas Island, but had no luck contacting Ms O’Brien. “The receptionist I spoke to said that she did not know who Annabelle O’Brien was. I explained that I was an after-hours legal aid person in the ACT, and it was possible that someone at Christmas Island required urgent legal advice,” he said.