Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

It is important to note that transferees will have legal authority to remain in Malaysia and will be able to work.

I think it is appropriate, given this new-found interest in human rights, that we contrast the policy the government has with that of the opposition, who have a policy of returning people on the high seas, of towing people back. At the last election Mr Abbott was on the public record as saying he would be picking up a phone if he was sitting in Kirribilli, ringing up our gunboats and telling them to tow people back to Indonesia. What sort of human rights approach is that? What is the human rights approach of the oppo­sition when it comes to Nauru? You used Nauru, which of course was not a party to any human rights arrangements whatsoever. What is the approach that you have suddenly discovered, in terms of your interest in human rights, given your long history of abuse of people who actually are seeking to exercise their rights both onshore and offshore? I find it remarkable, Senator Cash, that you could suddenly cry these crocodile tears in terms of human rights. We have seen the long history of opposition to human rights by those opposite.