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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that, following his announcement today, women and children who land on excised islands will still be locked up on Nauru? Does the Prime Minister think it tough to lock up women and babies? Does the Prime Minister think it tough to surrender Australian sovereignty? Does the Prime Minister now concede the toughest approach to real threats to our border security—illegal fishing and drug smugglers—is to adopt Labor’s policy for a coastguard cop on the beat 24/7?

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

If Australians want tough border protection policy, do not adopt Labor policy. In answer to the first part of the Leader of the Opposition’s question, the existing laws in relation to excised islands remain in place.