Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the members of the Woodside Action Group in the gallery today and her decision to house 400 asylum seeker families in their community. I further refer the Prime Minister to her statement during the election campaign that the East Timor processing centre ‘effectively eliminates the onshore processing of unauthorised arrivals’. Can the Prime Minister understand why the Woodside community feels deceived by the difference between her statements before the election and the actions taken afterwards? And, Prime Minister, why will you not meet with this community?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say hello to the Woodside Community Action Group members in the gallery.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I presume they would actually like to hear my answer to the question, rather than having members of the opposition scream over my answer—

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

Mr Pyne interjecting

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

Order! The member for Sturt will leave the chamber for one hour under 94(a).

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sorry that members of the Woodside Community Action Group had to witness that conduct and how much it exhibits that what the opposition is interested in is playing question time games about this rather than addressing community concerns. We as a government, in contrast, are very interested in working through, with the Woodside community, the issues that concern them. In that regard, they have met today with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. The immigration minister, with the local member, will travel to a community based meeting on Wednesday night to talk through questions relating to the government’s decision and measures that can be put in place to work with the local community. The meeting will discuss questions such as employment in the detention centre and services that can also be of benefit to the community.

I also say to the member who asked the question: he well knows that the statements I made in the election campaign and earlier, and the statements I have made since, about a regional protection framework and regional processing centre are statements in which I have been very frank and very honest with the Australian community. On each and every occasion, I have said to the Australian community that we will need to work through those issues in dialogue with countries in our region. That dialogue is underway now.

The ultimate aim of that approach is to take out of the hands of people smugglers the very product that they sell. That is in sharp contrast to an opposition that campaigned on ‘stop the boats’ but is now putting out a welcome mat to 3,750 asylum seekers under its new policy as announced by its shadow minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order on direct relevance, Mr Speaker. The question was: would she meet with them, not wave at them.

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

The Prime Minister is responding to the question. The Prime Minister should reduce the amount of debate in her answers.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was seeking to correct factual errors in the question. We have a clear process to work through with the community, with the representatives in the gallery today, and we will continue with that clear process.