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

On the question, as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition knows from the statements I have made, including the statement I made with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, we will enter with Malaysia into an innovative agreement to transfer asylum seekers so that we send a very, very strong signal to people-smugglers that they no longer have in their hands the product they wish to sell, which is the prospect that they can get asylum seekers to Australia and have their claims processed here. The arrangement with Malaysia is about that. People who are serious about dealing with the scourge of people-smuggling would understand that, and this continuing attempt by the opposition to distort the facts and raise the apprehension of Australians that somehow another country is going to determine our immigration policy is truly pathetic indeed.

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