Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his statement in this place four years ago, almost to the day, when he said:

I want to make it clear that there is no intention, and there never has been, to excise any part of the Australian mainland. That is an absolutely ludicrous proposition.

If this is still the case, will the Prime Minister now withdraw the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006 or will he impose on his party room an absolutely ludicrous proposition?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The legislation which will shortly be before the parliament does not involve the excision of the Australian mainland. That is the ludicrous proposition that has been put by the Leader of the Opposition. This legislation establishes a total consistency in the treatment of unlawful arrivals in Australia between people who might come onto the mainland and people who might come onto offshore islands. This legislation further entrenches a highly successful border protection policy, to which the government remains fully committed. It does not involve what the Leader of the Opposition has said. It is he who is being ludicrous.