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

I thank the honourable member for Canning for his question given his well-known commitment to the defence of a proper and balanced policy when it comes to asylum seekers and Australia’s national security. We know that he has been out there with the member for Berowra on these questions for a long, long time.

The honourable member asks about the arrival of asylum seekers in Australia. I say to the honourable member that all governments past have been confronted with arrivals by boat and by other means. I also refer to the fact that, in the period following the introduction of the so-called Pacific solution by those opposite, in each year following that we had thousands upon thousands upon thousands of asylum seekers arrive in Australia. I would say in response to the honourable member that global security circumstances constantly change, as they did for the Howard government, as they will do for this government and as they will do into the future as well. Therefore, it is important to respond appropriately to the practical circumstances which present themselves and we will continue to do so.

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