Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

it would have no effect on arrivals. He said it was only the push factors that mattered, that Australia's domestic policy was irrelevant. Well, we had an experiment, didn't we? Mr Rudd prevailed: 50,000 arrivals, hundreds drowned at sea. There is no doubt: if we wish to keep our borders secure, if we wish to stop people drowning at sea, if we want to keep our borders safe, if we want to maintain support for our whole immigration policy, if we want the capacity to bring in refugees from Syria—12,000 additional refugees from persecuted minorities—then we need a strong border protection regime, and this government will stand steadfast in protecting the border.

Ms Burke interjecting—

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