Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my question is to the Prime Minister. I can guarantee that no asylum seeker sent to Nauru will be subject to caning. Can the Prime Minister make the same guarantee about asylum seekers sent to Malaysia?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

When the House comes to order we will proceed. The Leader of the House on a point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the standing orders are very clear with regard to argument. I know you have interpreted them broadly, but that question was clearly out of order.

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

It has been the practice of the House to allow leaders to have some latitude, and I will allow that latitude on this occasion. That is not in any way debating the merit of the point of order. The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, because we have the most negative opposition in this country's history, one of the things they refuse to do is ever to deal with the facts. As the Leader of the Opposition ought to know, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship put out a statement in relation to this matter earlier today which fully answers this question. I myself was asked questions about it by the media today and fully answered this question. I refer him to the statement that I released—the co-statement with the Prime Minister of Malaysia—which answers this question. Of course, the arrangement that we will make with Malaysia will ensure that asylum seekers who are transferred from Australia are treated with dignity and treated with respect and treated in accordance with our understanding of human rights, and of course our understanding of human rights deals with the question the Leader of the Opposition asks.