Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Personal abuse is never a substitute for an answer. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that more than 44,000 people have arrived on more than 724 boats since Mr Rudd and Labor abandoned the policies the Howard government had successfully instituted to stem the flow of asylum seekers to this country, why does the government continue to refuse to turn back boats, even if it is safe and possible to do so?