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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind her that 42,000 people, on 700 illegal boats, have arrived on this government's watch and that more than 10,000 have been released into the community without comprehensive ASIO checks. Given that a convicted jihadist terrorist was held at a family facility in the Adelaide Hills for almost a year, through what officials called a clerical error, will the Prime Minister now concede that Labor's policies have made Australia less safe than it was under the former government?

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

The Prime Minister has the call. The last part of the question was out of order.

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

To the Leader of the Opposition: already so clearly in this question time we have seen the divide in Australian politics between this government that is building and investing for the future and this opposition that is trading in fear—trying to trade in fear and make people worry about the economy, when they know that there is no cause to do so and the rating agencies have spoken. Then, with a question like this, it is trying to raise fear in the community when it knows, and the Leader of the Opposition knows, from answers that have been given in this parliament earlier this week that the person he refers to has always been held in detention. The Leader of the Opposition is out there trying to create fear and people might want to ask themselves why? Why would he be creating fear? Not because he has any answers, that is for sure. The Leader of the Opposition used to walk around saying: 'Stop the boats.'

Mr Simpkins interjecting—

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

Order! The honourable member for Cowan will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a). He cannot continue this behaviour.

The member for Cowan then left the chamber.

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

Now, of course, they have back-pedalled and back-pedalled. They might hope to make some difference in a few years time, if that is possible. Then the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is out there, effectively claiming that they have got an arrangement with Indonesia. Then she had to back-pedal, back-pedal and back-pedal. Then she was shamed into trying to stutter out the truth by The Guardiannewspaper—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

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

Order! The Prime Minister will return to the question.

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

So all of this fear—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is what Laurie is talking about!

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

Order! The member for Dickson is warned!

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

raised by an opposition, which, if it were clear and if it were truthful would say that its policies amount to nothing.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You have, quite commendably, asked the Prime Minister to return to the question. I regret to say that she is defying the Speaker's injunction.

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 am answering a question very broadly worded about safety and, in answering that very broadly worded question, let me give this answer. What this government will do is continue to be clear with people about the facts and the policy choices. We will listen to expert advice.

Mrs Mirabella interjecting—

The member for Indi might think that advice provided by the former Chief of the Defence Force is worth laughing at. We treat people who have served our Defence Force at the highest level with respect. We treat people with the foreign policy expertise of Michael L'Estrange with respect. We treat a man, like Paris Aristotle, who has devoted his life to working with refugees with respect. We of course are out there implementing the policies that have been recommended by those experts while, on the one hand, the opposition come into this parliament and try to raise fear and then, on the other hand, whenever they are called to do so come into this parliament and put up their hands for more votes, which is what the Leader of the Opposition has done time after time in denying the force and effect of the expert panel.

Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. SBS report that no asylum seekers have been processed on Manus Island and that detainees are attempting suicide and self-harm. But who knows for sure, because journalists are not allowed access and SBS was stopped by DIAC and contractors? Prime Minister, your government claims that it is PNG that is blocking access, but the PNG Prime Minister and the centre administrator both deny it. Someone is lying here. Who is it, Prime Minister?

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

The use of the word 'lying' of course is out of order. So I will ask the member for Denison to rephrase the last part and I will advise that, by now, everyone should know that the use of the word in any context is out of order. The member for Denison, on the last part.

Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My apologies, Speaker. Someone is being very dishonest here. Who is it, Prime Minister?

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

To the member for Denison, of course PNG is a sovereign nation so it has the ability to control who gets visas and who enters PNG. I think that is self-evident.

In terms of people who are in PNG and who then seek access to the detention centre on Manus Island, unlike the former Howard government, we have been in the business of enabling there to be transparency about what is happening in detention centres. That is why, for example, the Red Cross has been able to travel to that centre and it is why the International Organization for Migration has been able to travel to that centre and it is why, indeed, even Senator Hanson-Young in the other chamber has been able to travel to that centre. So in terms of openness and transparency, that is the track record of the government.

When it comes to why we have people in offshore processing, it comes to the same answer that I just gave to the Leader of the Opposition, although I understand the member for Denison is coming at this from a very different perspective.

Andrew Wilkie (Denison, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, I rise on a point of order: on relevance. It is clear that DIAC, the government's own department, has prevented journalists from entering the Manus Island facility.

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

The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thank you very much, Speaker. I have made clear the way in which people have been given access to the centre, including a parliamentarian from this parliament. My point to the member for Denison is: the reason we have a centre in PNG, the reason we have offshore processing, is that it was recommended by the expert panel and we are implementing their recommendations. Of course, we have been prevented from doing so fully because of the negativity of the opposition, the opposition having consistently wanted to see more boats.