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

My question is again to the Prime Minister and refers to my previous question and his failure to answer it and the offer made to the asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking. Was the Prime Minister consulted by his staff or any other person about the terms of the offer prior to the meeting of the border protection subcommittee of cabinet? Further, was the Prime Minister advised by his staff or any other person of the terms of the offer prior to the time it was made to the asylum seekers aboard the Oceanic Viking?

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

As I have said in response to the honourable member’s questions yesterday and today, the border protection committee of the cabinet has responsibility operationally for the handling of these matters. I said also, in response to the honourable member’s question yesterday, that my own staff, together with the staff of other ministers and officials from my own department and officials from other ministers’ departments, are active in that committee, a committee which is chaired under normal circumstances by the immigration minister. That is how it operates; that is how it is extended here.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the Prime Minister was not asked about the general activities of the border protection subcommittee of cabinet; he was asked what he knew, what he was told and when.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The point of order is as to relevance. The Prime Minister is responding to the question.

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

The question goes to the operation of the border protection committee, the operation of my staff on that committee and what would normally be the relationship between any staff and their minister. Of course, I am aware, as Prime Minister, of the fact that negotiations are underway with various agencies, including the Indonesians and others. That would be normal. On the content of those negotiations, on the content of the agreement which is referred to, contained in the document about which he said that I had misled the parliament yesterday, I had no prior knowledge of its content and I did not authorise its content. But I note once again, consistent with what we have had on earlier occasions, an attempt by the Leader of the Opposition to embroil my staff in this matter. I seem to remember what he did during the forged email affair on Utegate, which was to seek to embroil the economic adviser in my office, Dr Charlton. Once again, we are going down the same road.