Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal 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 refusal in question time today to say whether the national security adviser is reporting directly to him, whether the Oceanic Viking security clearance expires tomorrow and what arrangements are being made to extend it, whether the government proposes to make cash payments to the passengers on the Oceanic Viking in order to induce them to leave the vessel, and what arrangements are in place to ensure that the vessel is adequately and safely supplied. Will the Prime Minister now finally take the opportunity to answer these straightforward, factual questions?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question on those matters which he has just referred to. Taking them in reverse order, the first was about supplies to the vessel. Yes, the vessel will be supplied. That is why we have arrangements already with Australian authorities, in cooperation with the Indonesians, to provide the necessary victualling and other supports for the vessel in question. Secondly, on the question of payments, because they currently have no status under Australian immigration law they are not receiving payments. Mr Speaker, the question was asked about payments to those on the vessel—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister has the call.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition is so desperate to get on with his censure motion that he now seeks to add to the questions he has just asked. The question he asked just now was: would I answer the question about cash payments to those on the vessel, and what I have said to those opposite is that they have no status under Australian immigration law and therefore they are not entitled to any payments. Secondly, if that status changes under Australian immigration law at any time in the future, consistent with Australian government practice in the past, they would be entitled to a range of supports, as the Howard government provided. But that is entirely determined on the basis of what happens with the future determination of their status.

Thirdly, in respect of any support which is given to them in terms of sustenance by organisations like the UNHCR or IOM and international governments around the world who support those organisations, of course those arrangements would proceed as normal, as they have in all other circumstances. That is the second question, which the honourable member suggests that I have not answered directly.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I dealt with three elements of it. He says that it was not answered directly. Point (1) was payments now, (2) was payments by international agencies and support for those agencies by way of sustenance payments for individuals concerned, and (3)—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is always in search of how you whip it up into a censure motion. The agenda of course is to save his leadership—and it is Thursday, and it is not about the policy in question. Let me go to the third one which he asked, which was about the Oceanic Viking’s diplomatic clearance being extended. My advice is that the normal extension of diplomatic clearances for vessels is a routine matter between governments and, given what the Indonesian foreign minister said last night, we have no advice before the government which suggests any difficulty with the continued extension of the diplomatic clearance which extends to the vessel at present. That is the third one that he raised. And what was the first one, which is now the fourth?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the national security adviser—I just wanted a prompt.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition has made his point.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the honourable Leader of the Opposition has made a full and complete study, as I am sure he and everyone has, of my first national security statement to the Australian parliament, he will recall from that, given that it was such a scintillating document, that the national security adviser answers to yours truly. That is why he is in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Duncan Lewis also provided advice on security matters to my predecessor, Mr Howard, when he was Prime Minister. He is a professional public servant who has had extensive service in the Australian military. He therefore provides advice to the Prime Minister of the day. In this case it is this Prime Minister. And on the questions which concern—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should have said that at two o’clock.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would have assumed that the honourable Leader of the Opposition would conclude from the administrative orders the fact that I am the Prime Minister and I have a thing called the Prime Minister’s department. There is a bloke in it called the national security adviser and I have declared publicly that he answers to me and he probably does on this as well. So there you go: (1),(2), (3), (4)—answered.