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

As I said in response to the member for Farrer’s question, obviously in that period—consistent with what happened around the world—the total number of exits from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka went down. I have referred to those numbers in the House in the last few days. Why those opposite are so uncomfortable about this fact is that in the period they were in office, total arrivals of asylum seekers to Australia, including by air, was: 10,430 in 1996, 10,043 in 1997, 8,192 in 1998 and 13,217 in 1999.

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