House debates

Monday, 16 November 2009

Questions without Notice

Asylum Seekers

2:37 pm

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

My question is this to the Prime Minister—we are just getting over a lecture on internal squabbling from that distinguished trade unionist there.

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

Ms Gillard interjecting

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

The Deputy Prime Minister is being very unruly, Mr Speaker.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will ignore the interjections, and the Deputy Prime Minister will sit there more quietly.

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

She is defying you, Mr Speaker. She is not sitting there quietly at all.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to ignore that, and the Deputy Prime Minister will sit there quietly.

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister point to any other refugees in Indonesia, other than those from the Oceanic Viking, to whom the Australian government has guaranteed resettlement within four to six weeks? If he cannot do so, will he agree that his claim that no preferential deal has been offered is patently false?

Photo of Kevin RuddKevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I note that the Leader of the Opposition routinely disputes the advice provided to us by the independent Public Service of Australia. It is part of a routine behaviour: attack the Secretary of the Treasury when you do not like what the Treasury advice is, and on this day, attack the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship because you happen to disagree with what his advice is. The Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has said very simply that the Indonesian government and the Australian government have agreed to a set of arrangements regarding the time frames for the processing of the group in Indonesia consistent with international practice of resettlement procedures. I would suggest that he pays attention to that advice.