George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Yes I can, Senator Fawcett. European nations, which in the last 48 hours have announced their responses to this crisis, are making substantial contributions as well. For example, the United Kingdom, with its population almost three times that of Australia, will be taking 20,000 people. France has announced that it will be taking 24,000 people, again, with a population almost three times the size of ours. Australia will be taking 12,000 people in addition to our existing humanitarian programs and every one of them will be a permanent settler. In the political fury of the debate about border protection and refugee policy, I think it is a great pity that there is one fact that is often overlooked or deliberately neglected and that is, when it comes to resettlement, Australia is, per capita, the most generous nation in the entire world.