Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think the shadow minister in his contribution on this bill, the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014, said something very telling. He said that the politics of this issue is highly leveraged—and he is right. I have sat in this parliament over the last four and a bit years and watched as the politics around this issue has become highly leveraged. Perhaps it was a sense of naive optimism that I thought that this issue could rise above partisan politics. But, unfortunately, that has not been the case.

One of the things that has amazed me the most in my time in this place is the hypocrisy of the left on this issue. The left like to tell the Australian people that they take a humanitarian position. The left try to tell the Australian people that they are on the right side of this issue and it is the humanitarian standpoint that drives whatever policy position they hold on whatever day of the week it is. But let us talk about the reality of the situation and strip away the partisan politics.

Dr Leigh interjecting—

The member opposite laughs. I hope he listens to this contribution, because I am going to make a very simple point here.

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