Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

This bill began at around 2 o'clock this afternoon. We have been debating this for close to six hours. The member for Lyne has moved his bill, the member for Cook's amendment has been dealt with and defeated, the member for Denison's amendment has been dealt with and passed, and now there is absolutely no excuse why the government would not introduce this bill into the Senate tomorrow to be dealt with.

I place on record that the opposition expects the government to introduce this bill in the Senate tomorrow to be dealt with, and if they do not it will mean that they were never fair dinkum—that it was just another stunt. I also place on record that the opposition will do whatever is required to facilitate that debate being held in the Senate tomorrow and being concluded. We will facilitate that debate, we will not stand in the way of the government introducing this bill into the Senate and having it debated. We might well, of course, speak to these bills as we oppose the Malaysian solution with every fibre in our being—particularly for the reasons outlined by the Leader of the Opposition. But I think that the shadow Treasurer put it very well to the House tonight.

I would ask every Labor member of good conscience—and there are some—to search those consciences tonight and realise what they are doing if they support the Malaysian solution through the parliament tomorrow, and they will hang their heads in shame. The next time boats attempt to get to Australia and meet tragedy, if they are full of women and children, it will be on the heads of the government for pursuing the Malaysian solution—

See this speech in context