Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

We know that the government have admitted by stealth that they got this wrong because they are going to change ministerial direction 99. No-one on that side can deny it, not even the Minister for Home Affairs, who is leaving the chamber. They are going to change ministerial direction 99. The question needs to be asked: why? Why are they going to change ministerial direction 99? We need to hear that explained, either by the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, by the Prime Minister or by the Minister for Home Affairs. But what we are getting is everyone on the government side running as far away as possible from ministerial direction 99 and attempting to own it—even the Prime Minister.

Here's a ministerial brief that is official, sensitive, legal privilege from the Department of Home Affairs. It went to the minister for immigration. In it, it says 'Key issues: at the recent Australia-New Zealand leaders meeting, the Prime Minister committed to a "commonsense" approach to the removal of New Zealand citizens long-term resident in Australia'. When we asked of the Prime Minister today whether he gave that commitment, whether that ministerial brief is accurate, the Prime Minister would not answer. He would not take responsibility for what he did at that leaders meeting. This will come back to haunt him, because there are other briefs and they will be found and they will come to light which will show that it was the Prime Minister who basically made the commitment that led to ministerial direction 99. The best thing the Prime Minister could do is come to this despatch box this afternoon and own it, because if you will not own the decisions that you make, if you will not take the responsibility for the decisions that you have undertaken then you are not fit to keep the Australian community safe, and that is your No. 1 priority as Prime Minister.

It is a sad, sad day when the Prime Minister, today here in question time, seeks to hide from his own responsibility as Prime Minister to keep the Australian— (Time expired)

See this speech in context