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 persistent denial of a special deal to entice the 78 asylum seekers from the Oceanic Viking. If the arrangements were standard, as he claims, why was the deal considered and approved by the border protection subcommittee of cabinet before the offer was put to the asylum seekers?

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

The border protection committee of the cabinet considers the operational application of standard policy of the government on border protection. Our approach is very clear when it comes to dealing with people smugglers. It is a hardline approach, and that is one which has already seen the incarceration of people smugglers, it has seen the prosecution of people smugglers, it has seen also those which are currently before the courts, and we have had a large number of those indeed. Also, our approach is consistent in terms of being responsible in dealing with genuine asylum seekers, as is our policy in sending back home those who do not qualify as genuine refugees. That is our approach, and that is the policy which has been applied by the border protection committee in its dealings with this matter.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order on relevance: as the Prime Minister has so obviously been caught red-handed, it might be better for him just to sit down.

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

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The member for Sturt is warned!

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

It is very early, but he actually understands the ramifications of it. The Prime Minister has the call and the Prime Minister is responding to the question.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, because the question directly went to the operations of the border protection committee of the cabinet and its implementation of government policy and the application of that policy to individual circumstances. What I sought to explain to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Manager of Opposition Business, had he been interested in the substance of it and not in the politics of it, was precisely how that policy of the government applied to people smugglers, how it applied to genuine refugees, how it applied to those who had not obtained refugee status and were sent back home. That is our approach. That is our policy.

What we have said from day one is that the Australian government would not succumb to any demands that these individuals on this vessel be processed in Australia, despite the recommendations of a number of those on the Liberal side of politics. Instead, what we did from day one was to say that these individuals on this vessel would be processed in Indonesia. That is precisely what has occurred, and that is the application and implementation of the government’s policy as it relates to this individual vessel. That is our approach. That is our policy.

What are the alternatives? The alternatives are: firstly, political opportunism; secondly, a policy-free zone; and, thirdly, a fear campaign. Also, a policy record which saw nearly 250 boats arrive in this country carrying nearly 15,000 people, 90 per cent of those issued with temporary protection visas by the previous government having ended up in Australia, 60 per cent of those who were sent on the ‘Pacific solutions’ having come to Australia also as permanent residents and, on top of that, the sorry record of children behind razor wire.

Our approach is clear. We have implemented our policy. Those opposite do not have a policy. They simply are engaging in the politics of fear for the reasons they know too well.