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

I am sorry that members of the Woodside Community Action Group had to witness that conduct and how much it exhibits that what the opposition is interested in is playing question time games about this rather than addressing community concerns. We as a government, in contrast, are very interested in working through, with the Woodside community, the issues that concern them. In that regard, they have met today with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. The immigration minister, with the local member, will travel to a community based meeting on Wednesday night to talk through questions relating to the government’s decision and measures that can be put in place to work with the local community. The meeting will discuss questions such as employment in the detention centre and services that can also be of benefit to the community.

I also say to the member who asked the question: he well knows that the statements I made in the election campaign and earlier, and the statements I have made since, about a regional protection framework and regional processing centre are statements in which I have been very frank and very honest with the Australian community. On each and every occasion, I have said to the Australian community that we will need to work through those issues in dialogue with countries in our region. That dialogue is underway now.

The ultimate aim of that approach is to take out of the hands of people smugglers the very product that they sell. That is in sharp contrast to an opposition that campaigned on ‘stop the boats’ but is now putting out a welcome mat to 3,750 asylum seekers under its new policy as announced by its shadow minister.

See this speech in context