Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

She is now complaining that I am asserting that she breached the confidentiality of the briefing. I am not saying that. In the face of a briefing, you went out and said that the reasons the government has made this decision are, firstly, for political considerations and, secondly, for United Nations Security Council considerations. Thirdly, you said it was an overreaction. Let me make this point to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: when she received the briefing from the national security agencies, as did the government, none of those national security agencies had in their minds when they were carefully weighting their advice to the government what she would describe as ‘political considerations’ or the United Nations Security Council.

They had in their minds, as did the government, the integrity of our passport system, the protection of our national security interest, and what you have done in your response yesterday and today has shown that you are not fit to occupy a position of trust in the national security environment.

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