[Australian] Govt defends torture stance
“Australian prisons obviously did not engage in torture and it was against the law, Mr Downer said. ”
…
” “We think UN officials should seek the agreement of the federal, as well as in this case the state governments, to have access to our prisons, not just get off the plane at Melbourne airport and get a cab to Pentridge and walk into the prison,” he said.
“We probably wouldn’t have any objection to somebody coming and having a look, but we would want them to seek our agreement to do so.”
Australia joined countries such as China, Cuba, Libya and Nigeria in voting against the proposal, which was eventually accepted by a large majority in the UN’s economic and social committee. ”