Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

That is a question entirely aimed at achieving political advantage for those opposite. It is a question driven by nothing more than a cynical political game. If their tears were genuine tears rather than crocodile tears, those opposite would be backing each and every one of the Houston expert panel's 22 recommendations. But those opposite have chosen to put politics ahead of people's safety. They have chosen to encourage people to get on those boats. They have an opportunity—and have had for the last three years—to take a stand against people-smuggling operations but instead do nothing but tacitly encourage them. They have taken every opportunity to block measures to stop people-smuggling operations. They have done so time after time. (Time expired)