Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely not! I will take that interjection: 'Drown a few'. I tell you what: if they do not leave and we give a clear signal, Senator Bishop, saying 'If you don't move then you're not putting the lives of your family in danger', then that is what we should do. That is what we have done in the past. You have accepted half of our policy that sends that same signal, but you would be best advised to accept a further leg to ensure we turn the boats around where it is safe to do so because we know that is sending a signal, 'Don't leave and it will be okay.'

Senator Bishop is very interested in humanity. He is always very interested in the impact of policy. So 25,000 souls, Senator Bishop, and let me tell you who they are: 25,000 people who have come here, each one of those coming from a specific list. That list is the list provided by the UNHCR, and on it are the names of people for the family reunification demographic that are attached to our refugee humanitarian intake. There are 25,000 of them. That is 25,000 men, women, children, sisters, brothers, friends, husbands and wives who will not be rejoining those refugees who are currently in Australia. That is a consequence of your policy. So when you are preaching to me that it is all about the lives of the people in the boats, you should have a look at your own policy and come to terms with what an abject failure it really is in relation to the compassion that you so ably talk about, but are quite incapable of delivering. There are 25,000 people who should have been reunified with their refugee demographic in Australia, but thanks directly to the policy failure on the other side those families will not be reunited. Shame!