Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister of revelations that more than 10,000 asylum seekers have been released into the community without any comprehensive ASIO checks. Is the Prime Minister prepared to guarantee to this House that no further individuals will be released into the community without first undergoing comprehensive checks?

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

Once again on a day when the opposition could have focused on jobs and growth in this parliament—

Mr Hartsuyker interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper is warned!

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

and perhaps sought to explain why they oppose the government's billion-dollar plan for jobs and growth and growth in manufacturing, on a day when they could have chosen to do that, instead they have gone down the low road of trying to provoke fear in the community—

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order clearly on the issue of relevance. The Prime Minister has been asked about national security issues and she is suggesting that they are not important and we should focus on other matters.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

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

I wholly reject the assertion of the member for Sturt at the dispatch box. In relation to the member's question, we are now in the second day of the opposition going down a very low road of trying to stir up fear in the community. It is grossly unacceptable. When the opposition have gone down this path before, members of the opposition themselves have stood up to it because they have found it offensive. I can understand why those members of the opposition who have stood up to it have found it offensive.

What I can say in response to the member's question is that the government will continue to pursue the policy that it has now, including the security assessments that are undergone. Trying to raise fear about this really is, as I said earlier, going down a very low political road.