Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Vanstone, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Does the PM’s withdrawal of the migration bill today completely undermine the minister’s authority in her portfolio? Given the various policy positions adopted by the government in the last six months, the latest of which the minister herself had earlier characterised as ridiculous, what should we understand now to be the government’s position in relation to migration matters? Is it the case that the government is in total disarray on migration policy and that the minister’s authority in the portfolio has again been totally undermined? What is the standing of the promises made to Liberal Party backbenchers some months ago regarding the incarceration of children and other matters? Are those promises still current or have they been reneged on?