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

The question asked contained wide-ranging imputations. Those opposite are out there trying to raise fear and I am going to answer them because I am not going to leave that uncorrected on the national record. Point No. 1 that the Leader of the Opposition has failed to say: this person was always in detention. Point No. 2 that the Leader of the Opposition has failed to say: I refer him to someone who knows more about national security than he does, someone he may never have met because he has not availed himself of appropriate briefings—that is, the Director-General of ASIO. The Director-General of ASIO said about security assessments, 'The triaging process is the most effective and efficient way of enabling the greatest resources to be applied to the greatest potential risk.' The Leader of the Opposition does not know more about these questions than the Director-General of ASIO.

On briefings to me: I was briefed after the matter was raised in Senate estimates. On briefings to the immigration minister: the immigration minister has dealt very clearly with that on the record today. On discussions in the National Security Committee, in which the Leader of the Opposition has never sat: if he had ever sat in the National Security Committee he would know that discussions in the National Security Committee are confidential.

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