Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the minister confirm reports this week that an asylum-seeker vessel was intercepted by Australian officials in international waters?

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

No.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to previous comments from a parliamentary representative on the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Commission who has described boat turn-backs on international waters as illegal. Has the government received any response from the Indonesian government following this week's media reports?

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

Senator Bilyk, the advice to the Australian government is that the policies which we have successfully put in place to repair the damage done to our border by the government which you supported are within the law. That is the advice we have received from our legal advisers. Everything we have done has been within the law and everything we have done has been effective. I would remind you, Senator Bilyk, that—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order that goes to direct relevance. The question was specifically about responses from the Indonesian government following this week's media reports.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Also there was a question about legality and the minister is answering that question.

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

Senator Bilyk, I was about say that the policies that we have put into place not only are consistent with our legal advice but are also effective; we have solved the problem. When the Labor Party was in power, 812 unlawful asylum-seeker vessels reached Australia's shores in less than six years. Almost 50,000 people reached Australia's shores and more than 1,100 people drowned.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I again rise on a point of order that goes to direct relevance to the question, which was about responses from the Indonesian government. We have not come near that.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wrote down what was asked and I do believe that the minister has been directly relevant to the question. The minister has concluded his answer.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, have all actions taken by the Abbott government in the course of its turn-back program been lawful under domestic and international law?

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

Yes.