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

I say to the Leader of the Opposition that I specifically did not say to him that my definition of bipartisanship is him endorsing the government's policies. I in fact said the complete reverse. What I said to the Leader of the Opposition—and I ask him to reflect on my actual words rather than what he likes to imagine I may have said—were words which I ask the Leader of the Opposition, in an exercise in the national interest to weigh seriously and with a moment of reflection rather than to engage in the kinds of politicking in this area that Australians are rightly sick of. I say again to the Leader of the Opposition that I am well aware, as he is well aware, that this side of the parliament has one plan; that side of the parliament has another plan. I do not ask the Leader of the Opposition to endorse the government's plan. What I do ask the Leader of the Opposition to do—and why this is common ground—is to enable the government, post the High Court case, to put the Migration Act in an appropriate state that this side of the House can implement its policy and, if the Leader of the Opposition were ever to sit on this side of the House in the Prime Minister's chair, he could implement his policy. That it is common ground. That is why it should be an act of bipartisanship. What the Leader of the Opposition is saying to me is in fact an act of high partisanship, and that is why it does not serve the national interest. He is saying to me that the government should endorse legislative amendments which would only enable his solution to be put into place and not enable the government to implement the arrangement with Malaysia. That is why it is a high act of partisanship. That is why it is reckless. That is why it is not in the national interest and that is why it appears that the Leader of the Opposition is now on a course to wreck offshore processing by this country. And after frothing at the mouth for 12 months about the government and political arrangements with the Greens, what he is now planning to do is to vote with the Australian Greens to destroy offshore processing. That is actually what the Leader of the Opposition is proposing to do. He is proposing to engage in that reckless act of partisanship because he believes that it is in his political interest.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

There is the member for Sturt yelling and interjecting about voting with the Greens. Well, I trust in the divisions that will wreck offshore processing in this country, as the Leader of the Opposition wants to do, that the member for Sturt sits next to the Australian Greens member who will be voting with the Liberal Party. I hope he does that. My point as I articulated was that the opposition likes to yell and scream about the Australian Greens, but they are on a political strategy to lock hands with them, to destroy offshore processing in this country, and if they do that and when they do that then every boat that comes to this country after that moment will be as a result of their reckless conduct.

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