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

Then, having facilitated that briefing, the Leader of the Opposition sought a briefing on the legislation, so we made that available at his request in Melbourne on Friday evening. Then he demanded publicly a meeting between him and me to discuss this question, and we facilitated that request and had the meeting yesterday. Then, out of that meeting, the Leader of the Opposition said he would consider the new amendments the government had put to him, new amendments which were worked through because he, amongst others, had expressed concerns about the question of protections. At every stage the government has sought to work with the opposition and to give the opposition its ability to work in the national interest. At every stage we have sought to put the politics to one side and to work with the opposition on restoring to executive government the powers it needs for offshore processing.

We have responded to every utterance of the Leader of the Opposition. A policy briefing—he wanted it; it was given. A legal briefing—he wanted it; it was given. A meeting with me—he wanted it; it was given. Amendments to the legislation on better protections—we worked on those amendments and those amendments were made.

In response to all of that and in complete denial of the national interest, the Leader of the Opposition went out yesterday and announced that he was on a strategy to end offshore processing in this country. He made that announcement publicly with no advice to me, no coming back to the government and no genuine intention to ever work in the national interest. All of this conduct by the Leader of the Opposition is because he has judged his political interest in front of the national interest. He is terrified that the Malaysia arrangement will work and that is not in his political interest. He wants to see more boats.

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