Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Does the Acting Prime Minister agree that kids should be locked up in immigration processing centres?

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government has put in place arrangements which mean that no children are being locked up in mainland Australia detention centres. That is because we have now processed all people who have made applications. We have also set aside housing arrangements for families to stay together. More than all of that, the government has done that whilst complying with its obligations under the UN convention on refugees and ensuring that Australia has strong border protection. I can assure the honourable member of this: whilst our government is still in office, Australia will have strong border protection and we will be doing it whilst observing the UN convention on refugees.