Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

): My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm to the House that on 23 April, in answer to a question about terrorists, he said the following words:

And then, if people seek to return to Australia, we want them arrested, prosecuted and jailed for a very long time and this is where this close cooperation between Australian and Turkish authorities will help because we will identify them better, we will get more information about them and that will help us to ensure that they can't do any damage back in Australia.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

): That is right. That is exactly right. When they are not dual citizens we want to lock them up, but when they are dual citizens we want to keep them out. When they are not dual citizens we want to lock them up, and when they are dual citizens we want keep them out. It is absolutely crystal clear: if you are just an Australian citizen and you are a terrorist and you come back to Australia, we will lock you up; if you are a dual citizen and you leave Australia to fight for a terrorist army, we never want you back. If you are a dual citizen and you leave Australia to fight for a terrorist army, you have committed the modern form of treason. We will strip you of your citizenship because we never, ever want you back. We have a very, very clear position on this. We have had a very clear position for some time now. I repeat: we will strip citizenship from terrorists who are dual nationals.

First of all, Labor's position was that this was dog whistling; then their position was that they would support it in principle; and today, the shadow Attorney-General—

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

when asked what he would do, what Labor would do, with these terrorists fighting in the Middle East—so someone who is fighting in Iraq and Syria—the shadow Attorney-General said, 'Well, you get them back here.' You get them back here! Not for dual nationals, mate!

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

The member for McMahon. I will not have this wall of noise. There will be silence. The Prime Minister has the call.

Mr Danby interjecting—

And that includes the member for Melbourne Ports.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know members opposite are getting very excited here because they are feeling very, very anxious about the divisions and the splits in their own ranks over national security issues. The Leader of the Opposition can tell us where they stand when it comes to stripping the citizenship from terrorists who are dual nationals. Is that dog whistling, which is what the Leader of the Opposition said it was a fortnight ago? Is it something they support in principle—which is what he said a week ago—or have they junked all of that and they now say to terrorists who are dual nationals, 'Welcome back!'—

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta has been warned and will leave under 94(a).

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'We want you back here in Australia', which is what the shadow Attorney-General said this morning.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will leave under 94(a) for one hour.

The member for Parramatta then left the chamber.