Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on today's matter of public importance and, in doing so, will highlight the difference between the asylum seeker policy of this side of the Senate and the policies of those on that side of the House. I seek to immediately draw the Senate's attention to a murky shadow in the Senate from 23 November 2011. During question time on that day, Senator Cash was asking Senator Carr, who was then the minister representing the then minister for immigration, about the Labor government's policies in this area. During the course of Senator Carr's answer, Senator Cash interjected to say that the policies relating to people seeking asylum are 'the gift that keeps on giving.' It is three years on and that is still the premise of their policy on this humanitarian issue.

Senator Brandis interjecting—

It is to keep up the division, keep up the scaremongering and keep up the persecution rather than trying to assess the most desperate people who want to come to Australia—

Senator Hanson-Young interjecting—

and make a better life for their family. We could not get a clearer policy position from the Liberal Party—

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—

which wants people to get on those leaky boats and to drown at sea. This is the Liberal Party policy writ large—