Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her statement 12 months ago that the Rudd government had lost its way. I remind her that in the last year 89 asylum seeker boats have arrived, carrying 4,900 asylum seekers. There are now 6,700 people in detention centres. Her East Timor solution has been abandoned. Her Manus Island plan has stalled and the Malaysian people swap is yet to materialise. Can the Prime Minister understand why Australia's forgotten families feel that the country has gone from bad to worse?

Mr Tony Smith interjecting—

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

The member for Casey is warned.

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

To the member's question I would say that I understand that the opposition have forgotten about Australian families—forgotten about their jobs, forgotten about the health services they need, forgotten about the education services they need, forgotten about the infrastructure they need and forgotten about everything that supports Australian families. That is why they have no plans to bring the budget back to surplus to help deal with inflationary pressures, no plans in health, no plans in education. They want to rip the NBN out of the ground. They have no plans at all to alleviate cost-of-living pressures. You cannot deliver to Australian families if you cannot make the budget add up. So I understand that the opposition have forgotten Australian families—absolutely right; correct.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, a point of order on relevance: this is about the Prime Minister's need to understand and explain why Australia's forgotten families feel that these—

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

The member for Forrest will resume her seat. She must go directly to the point of order. She cannot further debate the question. The Prime Minister is aware of the requirement to be directly relevant. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I was simply making the point about the families that the opposition has forgotten. The member who asked the question has forgotten ever to ask about the $23 million cancer centre delivered in her electorate by this government. If she was remembering the needs of Australian families she might have used her opportunity today to ask a question about that.

In answer to the member's question on asylum seeker policy, I say to the member that the answer is as simple as this: the opposition has tied itself in so many political knots in this area that it stands today in this House supporting a weaker policy. We stand supporting a stronger policy. We are determined to break the business model of people smugglers. You are determined not to do that. I will stick with our strong border protection policy. You can try and justify your weak one.