House debates Questions without Notice
Asylum Seekers
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:37 pm
My question is this to the Prime Minister—we are just getting over a lecture on internal squabbling from that distinguished trade unionist there.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister
Ms Gillard interjecting
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
The Deputy Prime Minister is being very unruly, Mr Speaker.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will ignore the interjections, and the Deputy Prime Minister will sit there more quietly.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
She is defying you, Mr Speaker. She is not sitting there quietly at all.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to ignore that, and the Deputy Prime Minister will sit there quietly.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
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?
Kevin Rudd Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
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.