Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Fourthly, it contains within it the buy-in of the UNHCR. Mr Speaker, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition asked what we have been doing on the question of regional countries. Let me tell you: that framework was concluded and agreed with myself and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in Bali just several months ago. It is on that basis that we are engaged in subsequent bilateral engagements.

In their many years in office, not one single element of progress was made in concluding such a regional processing agreement, which is why they earned the comprehensive condemnation of the UNHCR and other agencies in the humanitarian field across the world. We have engaged the international community, the international organisations, as was all regional states. Look at the statement which was produced out of that conference in Bali. That is what our portfolio has been doing. That represents a fundamental change from what her government achieved in the past.

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