Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:19 pm
My question is to the Acting Prime Minister and follows his answer to my previous question. Does the Acting Prime Minister support his government’s new policy which means that kids can now be locked up in offshore immigration processing centres?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Alexander Downer Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr Downer interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Minister for Foreign Affairs is not helping.
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I thoroughly support the policy which this government has announced in relation to offshore processing of people who make asylum claims in relation to Australia. What that means is that people who get to mainland Australia will be processed offshore in exactly the same way that people who arrive on offshore islands do, including islands such as Christmas Island. I may have missed it, but I thought the Labor Party had supported that policy as well. There was the flip and the flop of the Leader of the Opposition, but as I recall it, in relation to islands such as Christmas Island, the Leader of the Opposition, in a previous incarnation, supported that.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
I am very happy to have a debate on that, Mr Speaker—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to his point of order!
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
but it has got absolutely nothing to do with the question I asked, which was very explicit: kids being locked up in offshore—
David Hawker Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Acting Prime Minister is in order.
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
There is no need to debate it. Between his flips and his flops he actually voted to excise offshore islands from the Australian immigration zone. He supported the Pacific solution in relation to Nauru.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is a very specific question asking about kids being held in offshore detention centres in Nauru.
David Hawker Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that, if he rises on a point of order, he should state his point of order and not debate the question.
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
As I said earlier, in relation to mainland Australia the same provisions will apply. Australia will deal with those claims at third-party processing centres. That is the appropriate way to deal with these things. We will comply with the UN convention on refugees and, in addition, our government will ensure, as we always have done, that Australia has a strong and secure border protection policy.