The Senate has passed the Greens Order to Produce Documents, compelling the Government to reveal whether taxpayer funds were spent paying off the crews of asylum seeker boats out on the high seas.

The Government now has until 3:00pm EST tomorrow, Wednesday June 17 to comply.

“Allegations that $30,000 in taxpayer money has been used to pay people traffickers are extremely serious, and cannot be ignored,” Greens spokesperson for Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens have today written to the Australian Federal Police asking them to investigate if any payments have been made to crews of boats carrying asylum seekers and if so what laws have been violated. An Order to Produce Documents motion will also be moved in the Senate today for the government to release all documents relating to any payments made.

The Greens will use parliamentary powers to force the Government to table documents relating to the interception and 'turn-back' of an asylum seeker boat including any payments of monies to individuals on board.  The Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said the Order to Produce Documents will be put to the Senate as early as Monday next week.

"These allegations are extremely serious and the Parliament has both a right and responsibility to find out what has really been going on," Greens spokesperson for Immigration Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens say that that the Government must come clean on whether payments were made to boat crews to turn asylum seekers back to Indonesia and whether Government officials have acted illegally. 

"These are very serious allegations and the Government must come clean. The public has a right to know if the Abbott Government has participated in people trafficking or not," Greens spokesperson for Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Australian Greens have demanded answers today over reports from an Indonesian Police Chief that Australian officials paid thousands of dollars to the crew of an asylum seeking boat to turn around.

"The Government must give a full account of what has occurred here. No excuses for secrecy and cover-up will wash this time," Greens spokesperson for immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The cloak and dagger secrecy of the Australian Government continues after the arrival of four refugees in Cambodia from Nauru.  

"Australia has bribed Cambodia to take these poor people. There is no assurance any of this money will go to those who need it," Greens spokesperson on Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

"It is clear that the Australian-Cambodian deal is an expensive flop. Only four people have agreed to go at a huge cost of $55.5 million Australian dollars

Conflicting reports from service providers on Nauru and Minister Dutton that the refugee boy suffering from a seriously broken arm on Nauru will be transferred to India for surgery, rather than being brought back to Australia, is a national disgrace.

The Australian government continues to its secret operations on the high seas while ignoring its regional responsibilities after a boat carrying 65 asylum seekers, including three toddlers, crashes onto a reef after being turned away by the Australian Navy.

"The Abbott Government's heavy handed secrecy continues as Australians find more out from Indonesian authorities than we do our own Government," Greens spokesperson for Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Greens have today renewed calls to give people found to be refugees permanent visas. In responding to reports today that the NSW Government has agreed to work with the Federal Government to place refugees in country areas for work, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for a proper work-to-permanency pathway. 

"Under the current rules there is no clear pathway for permanency under the Government's new Safe Haven Enterprise Visas, this needs fixing," Greens Immigration Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said today.  

At today's Rohingya crisis meeting in Bangkok Australia has an opportunity to provide leadership and initiate practical steps to assist in humanitarian efforts to save lives.  

"As one of the wealthiest countries in the region Australia needs to play a leading role at the Rohingya crisis talks and not rely solely on our neighbours to help and resettle refugees stranded in the South East Asian waters", Greens spokesperson for Immigration Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.