Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister that before the election she promised she would open a regional processing centre for illegal boat arrivals in East Timor and there would be no expansion of processing centres in Australia. How can the Australian people trust this Prime Minister on anything when the East Timor centre was junked after the election and 4,300 new beds have been added at centres opened or expanded at Curtin, Scherger, Wickham Point, Darwin, Broadmeadows, Pontville, Inverbrackie and, soon to be, Perth?

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

The answer to the member's question is very clear. The opposition has decided it wants to see more boats, and because the opposition has decided it wants to see more boats—

Mr Randall interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Canning is warned!

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

Because in its negativity it is so opposed to the national interest, the opposition in this parliament under this Leader of the Opposition trashed the outlook of the former Howard government, trashed everything that was ever said or acted upon by the former Howard government in enabling governments to make appropriate decisions about offshore processing. The member who asked this question was part of leading the opposition to a position that meant it did everything it could to stop the government entering into an arrangement with Malaysia and putting it into operation. It decided that, instead of having the maximum deterrence for boats, it wanted to see more boats. Now, this reckless negativity has cost our nation. It has meant that people are embarking on dangerous journeys. It is against safety at sea. It has also meant that we have seen more boats.

Mr Morrison interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Cook!

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

The member is screaming and shouting but the one thing he will not do is come into this parliament and vote to enable the government to put into place the arrangement with Malaysia. He will not do that because he wants to see more boats. He loves it when he sees boats, because he will always put their political interests above the nation's interest. This is the reckless negativity of the opposition at every stage and in this area of policy above many others. Their trashing of the national interest is there for all to see.