Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

All I can say to the Leader of the Opposition is I think he is confused. Can I say to the Leader of the Opposition: as he would well recall, having been a senior member of the former Howard government, over the life of the Howard government children were held behind razor wire, and it became an issue within the ranks of the Howard government. It was an issue in this parliament. It was an issue I remember pursuing as shadow minister for immigration, including moving amendments to migration bills which were ultimately defeated in this place on party lines and, perhaps even more significantly than the discussions within and between political parties, it became a major issue in the Australian community—a major issue. As a result of it being a major issue in the Australian community, an issue in this parliament between the political parties and an issue within the Howard government itself, with noted advocates like Petro Georgiou consistently raising the issue, the Howard government determined to change its policy. I am very happy to say that was the appropriate course—the change in 2005.

But I say again to the Leader of the Opposition: he cannot have this all ways. He cannot come into this parliament and be proud of the 2005 changes and chide me for not being sufficiently full of congratulations on them at the same time as saying to the government that what we announced yesterday was inappropriate. He needs to pick one or the other. It will come down to a question of judgment and leadership for the Leader of the Opposition, which he picks. If he chooses to endorse what the government did yesterday on the basis that he says the Howard government did it first, it is fine by me. If instead he chooses to say—

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