Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for immigration. Was the minister informed by the Prime Minister before the Prime Minister advised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that he would weaken our immigration laws to allow criminals to stay in Australia?

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a question that no-one can accept the premise of. I don't quite know what the shadow minister is wanting me to answer. What I can say is this: in putting in place a ministerial direction, I had regard to our national interests and common sense, including the protection of the Australian community, and that was the advice that I was given.