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

Mr Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the chair to add to two earlier answers.

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

The minister may proceed.

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

The member for Stirling opposite asked me questions about CFMEU donations. I advise the honourable member in response to his questions that I am advised by the federal Labor Party, having checked since the year 2000, that the federal party has not received any donations during that time from the Western Australian construction division of the CFMEU. That is as I am advised. Secondly, in adding to that answer, I also wish to advise that I have inadvertently misled the House. I said before that those opposite had been in receipt of a million dollars worth of donations from the tobacco lobby in that period of time since 1999. I was wrong; it is $2,185,000. So they have been having a jolly good old time at the tobacco lobby!

The other answer I wish to add to was in response to a question from the member for Farrer concerning boat arrivals. I am advised of the following number of unlawful boat arrivals: in 2008, 161 of the 4,936 total asylum seekers that year came by boat, or three per cent; in 2007, 148 of the 4,133 total asylum seekers came by boat, or four per cent of the total; in 2006, 60 of the 3,581 total asylum seekers came by boat, or two per cent; in 2005, 11 of the 3,203 came by boat, or 0.35 per cent; in 2004, 15 of the 3,213 came by boat, or 0.5 per cent; in 2003, 53 of the 4,439 asylum seekers that year, or one per cent, came by boat; in 2002, one of the 5,875, or less than 0.1 per cent, came by boat; in 2001, 5,516 out of the total 17,882, or 31 per cent of the total, came by boat; in 2000, 2,939 out of a total 15,447, or 18 per cent of the total, came by boat; in 1999, 3,721 came by boat out of a total 13,217—

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Prime Minister is seeking indulgence to add to an answer, and he was asked about the years 2002 to 2007. He was not asked about—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The Prime Minister.

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

Obviously, the member for Curtin is, once again, extremely sensitive about these historical facts. In 1999, for her information, there were 3,721 unlawful boat arrivals out of a total number of asylum seekers that year of 13,217, or 28 per cent of the total; in 1998, 200 out of 8,192, or two per cent of the total; in 1997, 339 out of 10,043 total asylum seekers, or three per cent of the total; and, in 1996, 660 unlawful boat arrivals out of a total number of asylum seekers of 10,430, or six per cent of the total.

From putting those numbers together, therefore, I say, as we have said before, that in the period that those opposite were in office nearly 250 boats arrived in Australia, bringing nearly 15,000 individuals. If you look at the total number of asylum seekers over that period of time, it is approaching, onshore and offshore, in excess of 95,000. I would ask those opposite if, in engaging in this debate, they put this into a historical framework and reflect on their own performance in office, it might actually change—

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Laming interjecting

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

the way in which they approach this debate. But of course those members opposite are following the Ronaldson doctrine: you do not get news stories by trying to change perceptions; you get them by reinforcing stereotypes.