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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that more people have arrived illegally by boat in the last nine months, on her watch, than during the entire 11 years of the Howard government?

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

I remind the Leader of the Opposition that this government has brought to the parliament proposals to help us deal with the circumstances of asylum seekers and people who arrive by boat, and the Leader of the Opposition in his reckless negativity has not supported those proposals. The Leader of the Opposition cannot come into this place and mount this kind of criticism when he has refused to accept the advice of the former Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston, he has refused to accept the advice of refugee expert Paris Aristotle, he has refused—

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister has to answer the very simple question: can she confirm that there have been more illegal boat arrivals in the last nine months than in the entire period of the Howard government?

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order that goes to disruptive conduct. This is the first question of question time today; the Prime Minister is exactly 41 seconds into her answer and the Manager of Opposition Business took up more than 41 seconds with his frivolous point of order.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call.

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

I can confirm that we would have seen fewer boat arrivals but for the Leader of the Opposition's reckless negativity.