Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my right. The Leader of the House on a point of order?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, my colleagues are wondering if you asked the member for Isaacs to leave.

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

I did indeed.

The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. With regard to his previous answer, which ministers—and can he name them—have actually seen this legislation? Who are the relevant ministers?

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

The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and the Attorney-General.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Cowan will cease. I know it is Thursday, I know there was a ball last night, but there seem to be many members who are anxious to leave the chamber, and I am ready and willing to accommodate them. The member for Cowan has the call. I will not tolerate a wall of noise.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on action the government is taking to counter the threat posed by extremists returning to Australia?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowan for his question. He has served his country in uniform and he does a great job in this chamber on behalf of the people from his electorate.

As we have said in this place before, and as the intelligence agencies have pointed out, our country faces an unprecedented threat from terrorism. It is a sad reality. We have seen in the United States action by extremists again overnight. We have seen a number of cases on our television screens across recent months, in Western democracies, of actions which have threatened the peace and good harmony within societies. As a country, we ourselves, sadly, have experienced this in Sydney and Melbourne. ASIO advise that there are 400 high-priority cases that they are dealing with at the moment, and we have 110 people who are fighting in the Middle East and, we believe, 150 here in Australia who are supporting in different ways those that might be overseas or are preparing for acts themselves.

That is why this government has expressed its absolute determination, and a consistency in that determination, to stare down this threat. We have said for a long period of time that we believe that we should look at what other nations are doing, including the United Kingdom, where since 2006 they have been able to take citizenship away—whilst not rendering people stateless—from 28 individuals, stopping those people returning to the United Kingdom, because those people, having been further radicalised and coming back into the United Kingdom, would have presented a great threat to those people who want to go about their lives in a free way in the United Kingdom.

What have we done in this country? We have worked very hard with the intelligence agencies and with the law enforcement agencies to come up with the best approach possible to try and keep the Australian people safe. We believe very strongly that, if people are terrorists, are dual nationals and are fighting overseas, they should not come back to this country. We have been clear and determined in that focus.

As the Prime Minister referred to earlier, I was completely amazed by the contribution from the member opposite, the shadow Attorney-General, in the press this morning, because the Leader of the Opposition, when given the opportunity in this place only several sitting days ago, claimed that this approach was a dog whistle. That is the response. He said that he regretted those words and he stepped away from them to say that he would support the bill—the proposal—that the government is putting forward. But then, in a remarkable turn of events this morning, Mr Dreyfus has been out to say somehow that it is a good idea to bring these terrorists back to our country.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield will leave under 94(a).

The member for Wakefield then left the chamber.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not. It is not a good idea in any circumstance to bring these people back to our country. As we have said repeatedly, if you cannot—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. For the benefit of members of parliament, including his own ministerial colleagues who have not seen this legislation: will he table it so that we know what he is talking about?

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

The member is entering into argument and will resume his seat. The minister has finished his answer.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his previous two answers: when will the Deputy Prime Minister and the foreign minister be shown the legislation?

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After The Daily Telegraph!

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

The member for Moreton can join the member for Wakefield under 94(a)!

The member for Moreton then left the chamber .

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

Everyone who has watched The Killing Season knows that members opposite have no comprehension whatsoever of how a proper Westminster cabinet process works. No comprehension whatsoever!

For the benefit—

Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is ridiculous!

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

There will be silence from the member for Charlton or he will leave!

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

Westminster government 101: the cabinet determines the policy of the government based on a submission from the relevant minister. The relevant minister goes off to draft whatever legislation or regulations might be necessary. It then goes into the parliament, where it may or may not be examined by a committee and it is dealt with by the parliament. That is how our system of government works.

In the case of the government's absolute clear determination to strip citizenship from terrorists who are dual nationals, this decision was made by the National Security Committee of the cabinet. It did not need to go to the full cabinet under the Cabinet Handbook. But nevertheless, in the interests of good and open government it did go to the cabinet. The cabinet endorsed it and it was overwhelmingly supported by the party room. The legislation brief will go before our party room next week and the legislation will go into the parliament next Wednesday. The matter may or may not, depending upon what this parliament wishes, be referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security. And after the committee has reported, the legislation will be dealt with by the parliament. It is all absolutely normal; it is all absolutely in accordance with the standard conventions of this parliament.

This government knows exactly what it is doing. What does the opposition want here? When we made a decision—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. I have said that I will not tolerate a wall of noise! Now: if several more of you wish to leave early, so be it.

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

The government's position is that terrorists who have dual citizenship should be stripped of their Australian citizenship. We will strip citizenship from terrorists who are dual nationals. That is the government's position.

The opposition's position, first of all, was that this was 'dog whistling'. Then it was 'support in principle' and now it is opposition, because terrorists should be brought back to Australia. That is what the shadow Attorney-General said. If the leader of the opposition does not support that position he should tell us now.