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

I can understand full well why the member for Sturt and others would be sensitive about this. In 2002 total asylum seekers arriving here from onshore, which means by means other than boat, were 5,875; in 2003, 4,439; in 2004, 3,213; in 2005, in 3,203; in 2006, 3,581; in 2007, 4,133—and you will remember my earlier contribution to the debate about the increase globally of push factors affecting all countries—and in 2008, 4,936. You will see that in fact there has been a significant arrival in this country of asylum seekers by means other than boat, and that continued through the period from 2001 on.

See this speech in context