Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister received any advice that people smugglers are using his changes to Australia’s border protection policies since August 2008 to market their services to their potential customers?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am unaware of such advice. I say to the honourable gentleman, the Leader of the Opposition, that I am sure that those engaged in the vile trade of people-smuggling would be conveying any sort of message to those who are the victims of their trade around the world in order to encourage their trade. Whether or not that information is accurate, that is the sort of dissimulation and disinformation in which people smugglers would engage. They do not represent an honourable profession. They represent a dishonourable profession which trades in lies, so it would not surprise me what people smugglers said to anyone at any time in any place in order to increase their trade.