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

The member who asked the question has some familiarity too with the complexity of dealing with asylum seeker questions. What the member, I think, should recognise on a fair reckoning is that the statement put out by me and the Prime Minister of Malaysia, a joint statement, is an innovative approach under a regional framework to a truly regional problem. When you are dealing with this problem, if you are not working regionally then anything you seek to do will ultimately come to nought. So we will continue to pursue our work as announced by the minister for immigration and me on Saturday, and I would counsel the member and the Leader of the Opposition that, amongst all the distortions they are currently engaged in with the Australian community, they do not add misrepresenting the defence position of this nation to the list.

See this speech in context