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

As I believe the parliament is now well aware, given the number of questions on this issue this week, the government has received and is relying on advice about the deterrence effect of the arrangement with Malaysia. That is the truth. It may be an uncomfortable truth for those opposite, but that is the truth. We have made that briefing and advice available to those opposite. I do not ask that the opposition therefore endorse the government's policies and plans, but I do believe that it is in the national interest that the government of this country, whether it is this government or a government five, 10, 15 years down the track, has the powers that it needs to process asylum seekers offshore and to transfer them to other countries if it chooses to do so. Ultimately, the only proposition that will come before this parliament will not be the endorsement of the Malaysia arrangement; it will not be endorsement of the construction of a centre in PNG; it will not be endorsement of the construction of a centre in Nauru. It will be whether or not executive government should have the power to transfer asylum seekers to third countries. I am in favour of that.

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