Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I have announced an inquiry because I happen to think that facts matter. I know that they are alien to the Leader of the Opposition but I do believe it is important that facts matter and that this matter is the subject of an inquiry by an independent officeholder. I understand that a little bit earlier today the Leader of the Opposition was himself saying there should be an independent inquiry. Well, there is an independent inquiry, as announced by me yesterday.

To the Leader of the Opposition more generally, what we have seen from the opposition across this parliamentary fortnight is an ill-informed fear campaign. We had the Leader of the Opposition claiming ASIO resources had been cut across the life of this government—that is not true, but not surprising, given he has never been briefed by ASIO during the life of this parliament. Then, of course, Senator Brandis, who was briefed by ASIO, could not wait to rush up to a TV camera to burble out what he had been briefed on. Then, of course, yesterday we had the unedifying spectacle of the shadow minister for immigration trying to have a parliamentary committee, without statutory authority to investigate this matter, do that investigation. Then of course the member for Stirling could not approach the dispatch box and even move a motion. On top of all of that—

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