Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The question goes to the operation of the border protection committee, the operation of my staff on that committee and what would normally be the relationship between any staff and their minister. Of course, I am aware, as Prime Minister, of the fact that negotiations are underway with various agencies, including the Indonesians and others. That would be normal. On the content of those negotiations, on the content of the agreement which is referred to, contained in the document about which he said that I had misled the parliament yesterday, I had no prior knowledge of its content and I did not authorise its content. But I note once again, consistent with what we have had on earlier occasions, an attempt by the Leader of the Opposition to embroil my staff in this matter. I seem to remember what he did during the forged email affair on Utegate, which was to seek to embroil the economic adviser in my office, Dr Charlton. Once again, we are going down the same road.

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