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

To the Leader of the Opposition's question and quick change of topic: what the government has done and is continuing to do is implement the expert recommendations from the panel overseen by Angus Houston and participated in by Paris Aristotle and Michael L'Estrange. The government is continuing to pursue those recommendations.

Of course, the Leader of the Opposition walked into this parliament and voted for more boats. At the same time, and in accordance with the recommendations of that expert panel, we are working with our neighbours on cooperation against people smuggling. We do work very strongly, for example, with Indonesia on cooperation against people smuggling. What we do not do as we cooperate with Indonesia is verbal them, pretend that an agreement has been reached with them and only then, in an embarrassing move, back away from it—that is, we do not conduct ourselves like the opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

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