Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the Minister for Communications continues to raise serious concerns about the government's citizenship proposal and the extraordinary leaks from cabinet, how can Australians have any confidence that the government can keep them safe?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians know one thing: they know that every time this government wants to toughen up our national security laws, Labor complains. That is what they know. Every time this government is proposing new measures to keep Australians safe, members opposite, one way or another, complain and try to water them down. I want to make it absolutely crystal clear: if you are an Australian who goes to Syria or Iraq to fight with a terrorist army, we do not want you back, and, if you are a dual citizen, we will strip your citizenship so you cannot come back. If you are an Australian who goes to fight with a terrorist army, you have committed the modern form of treason, and we do not want you back. And, if you are a dual citizen who does that, we will not let you back. That is the position of this government. It is a very clear position.

The problem is that Labor have now had three positions. First of all, they said that the government's proposal—it is a clear proposal to strip citizenship from dual nationals who are terrorists—

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's nothing clear about it!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney will desist!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First of all, they said it was dog whistling. Then they said they supported it in principle. And now they say, or at least the shadow Attorney-General says, that he is against it, because he wants people who are fighting in Al-Raqqa to come back to Australia. If the shadow Attorney-General does not speak for the opposition on this, the Leader of the Opposition should make it crystal clear exactly where Labor stands.

I know that the Leader of the Opposition does not much want to face a press conference. He does not want to face a press conference for a lot of obvious reasons, but he owes this much to the Australian people: to say where he stands. Where does he stand on stripping citizenship from terrorists who are dual nationals? Where does he stand on boat turnarounds? Where does he stand on all of the grave national security issues facing our country right now?

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where's the legislation?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bendigo will desist!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think that on most of these things the instincts of the Leader of the Opposition are sound. The problem is his party is hopelessly divided—absolutely hopelessly divided. The truth is that the shadow Attorney-General and the member for Sydney are undermining the Leader of the Opposition on national security at every turn.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McMahon is warned!

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister referred to a clear proposal in his answer. I would ask that the Prime Minister table for the parliament the proposal that he is referring to.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is an abuse of the standing orders and is not a point of order.