Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Vanstone, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Can the minister confirm that she is not a member of the National Security Committee of cabinet, which made the decision to change Australia’s immigration laws to appease Indonesia? Is it true that the minister attended a citizenship ceremony yesterday rather than the party room meeting where her planned changes to our laws were fiercely debated? Where will the decision about the final shape of the bill be made? Will it be made by the Prime Minister’s office, by Foreign Affairs, by Indonesia or by the government’s backbench? Can the minister also indicate whether she has been told whether the bill will proceed at all or is she still waiting for someone to let her know just what is happening?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. It is correct to say that I am not a regular member of the NSC. But that would mislead, if you are referring to the meeting where this matter was discussed, because on that and other occasions relating to immigration matters I have gone to the meetings. Did I at a point yesterday leave the party room to attend a citizenship ceremony? Yes, I did. It was quite appropriate to do so because the citizenship ceremony was being held on World Refugee Day. What were we doing on World Refugee Day? We were making people who had come here under our refugee and humanitarian program—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On World Refugee Day, we were conferring citizenship on a number of people who had come here under our humanitarian and refugee program. Many Australians do not realise, because the Labor Party does not want them to know, that Australia is very generous to refugees. We have a 13,000 intake of refugee and humanitarian entrants each year, and we have been doing it for so long that it is regarded as commonplace. For the last few years most of our intake has been from Africa—and some senators have some issues concerning settlement problems that some communities have had. But we have been doing it long enough for a lot of refugees from Africa to have taken out citizenship yesterday.

On World Refugee Day yesterday the theme was hope. These people display all of it. They have had it all along—courage, determination and hope to find a better place. They have come to a country that opens its doors to those who are most in need, works with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and says, ‘You’re the most in need, come in.’ And not just come in, but we say, ‘We’ve got resettlement programs for you and we’ll help you, and within a couple of years you can be an Australian citizen and your kids can grow up to have all the opportunities that that brings.’

The other part of your question was: do I know what is happening with the bill? Yes, I do. I do know what is happening with the bill. Furthermore, I know when you are going to know, but it is not my place to tell you.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. Can the minister confirm reports that government backbenchers opposed to planned changes to our immigration laws were heckled and shouted down in the government party room yesterday?

Alan Ferguson (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tell us what happened in yours.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I had coffee and scones. Is it true that the Prime Minister was forced to gag debate to get the meeting back under control? Whatever happened to the minister’s promise that she was ‘Listening to what my colleagues have to say,’ when she could not even be bothered to participate or stay for the full debate in the party room?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: what happens within a party room is clearly not within the province of any minister to answer. The first two questions of the supplementary questioning should be ruled out of order.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe that the minister will probably be pointing that out in her answer.

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I may. Thank you for the advice, Senator Abetz, and thank you, Mr President.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: the first question went to the minister’s presence at the party room meeting yesterday and her participation in respect of this issue. She answered that question and pointed out how long she was there, that she did not stay, what she did and all that. No objection was taken. This supplementary question arises specifically out of that area.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. I have asked the minister to answer the supplementary question. She has 56 seconds to do it.

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very proud to be a member of a party where in the party room you can have full, free and frank discussions. I encourage it. In fact, I welcome the battle of ideas. I think it is the great conversation of life. And I am glad I am not in that other party where there was a member of parliament who expressed a view that others did not agree with. Where did they find him? With his lights nearly punched out, in the backstreets of Sydney. He had to be put into hospital. So, Senator Forshaw, I do not think you are in a position to be asking us about free and frank discussions in the party room. Was I there for the whole time? No, I was not. Why? Because I was undertaking my duties as Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and conducting a citizenship ceremony, for a brief period of time, to welcome refugees to Australia as citizens, something which I hoped someone like you, Senator, would have supported.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGauran interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McGauran!