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

I genuinely thank the member for his question. Can I say to him that I just referred to the 2005 reforms in my last answer to a question from the shadow minister and I respect the role that the member asking the question played in advocating those reforms from the back bench of the then Howard government. I recall attending a meeting with him in regional Victoria at which these questions were discussed. It was obvious to me at the time that he was struggling with these issues in his own mind and that he was desperately concerned, and he went on to advocate a change of policy. He was not the only member who did that. Notably, the then member for Kooyong did and the member for Pearce did, and so did a number of others. I congratulate them on that advocacy.

But this makes the point that the opposition cannot play this both ways. The shadow minister has come into the parliament today and asked a question of me, trying to indicate to the Australian people that somehow yesterday’s announcement was inappropriate and that somehow in making yesterday’s announcement the government is softening on mandatory detention or in some way engaging inappropriately with immigration policy. Yet the member then comes in and asks this question. You cannot have it both ways. The only thing I would ask the opposition to do in the modern age—that is, today—is to honour the words of their shadow minister from 16 October, just three short days ago, when he said ‘we are happy to listen to any proposal from any sphere of politics about how children can be best managed under the Migration Act’, when they come by boat and are then subject to our migration laws. The only thing I am asking the opposition to do is to honour those words of their shadow minister from three days ago. Stop, think, analyse and then determine your position rather than come in here with your three-word slogans thinking that is a solution.

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