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

I thank the member for his question. I did visit his electorate for an important event for emergency services, and particularly some funding that we made available to them from the NBN regional initiative to enable them to have online training of volunteers—something that will be absolutely turbocharged by the NBN. Given that, I would have thought the member might be thinking about his attitudes to the NBN and the attitudes of the opposition to the NBN.

On the question of the announcement about the detention centre, that announcement was made the same day the decision was made. The decision was made by cabinet that morning and then announced, obviously in accordance with a proper system of cabinet government. Cabinet made the decision and it was announced. On consultation processes, the consultation processes the government is using are the same consultation processes that have been used for a very long period of time when they relate to the use of Commonwealth land and Commonwealth facilities, which is what is under discussion here—Commonwealth land and Commonwealth facilities. As the department goes about the appropriate consultations—as they have been done for a very long period of time by this government and by other government when it comes to the use of Commonwealth facilities—I understand that community members have raised a set of concerns. Of course, the Commonwealth will be making sure community members get the full information because, clearly, whilst the member might think it is his job to fearmonger, I would actually think it is his job to get accurate information to people. So, on the question of accurate information, of course appropriate security arrangements will be made. On the question of accurate information, of course the federal government will fund and provide the necessary services so that people in the local community do not need to fear that somehow the services they rely on will then be taken away from them. That is not true. The Commonwealth will make the necessary investment to fund the required services. Of course, working with local schools and other community organisations, the Commonwealth will do what it has done in the past—which is meet the costs of education of the children involved.

I would say to the member—and it comes back fundamentally to a policy choice for the opposition—at some point the opposition need to make some policy choices about what is a complex question. We have outlined—

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