Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to reports that a boat carrying 200 asylum seekers, suspected of being Tamil Tigers, has left Sri Lanka and is heading to Australia. Can the Prime Minister update the House as to the location of the boat, its intended destination and what measures the government has taken to divert it from Australian waters?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. As the honourable member would be aware, if he is familiar with how we deal with operational matters, if there are operational matters of concern involving our assets on the high seas—be they Customs vessels or the assets of the Royal Australian Navy—we do not comment. I would have thought the honourable member would be aware of that.