House debates Questions without Notice
Asylum Seekers
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
2:53 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. In light of the Prime Minister's previous answer, can the Prime Minister explain why the government has explicitly refused to provide the specific information sought by the New South Wales police, as confirmed by DIAC officials at estimates, and give her reasons why?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
2:54 pm
To the member's question, as I said in parliament yesterday, as I have said today, if our authorities and agencies in any area get legitimate requests from the police then of course they are responded to. To the member for Cook, where he is obviously alluding to is the proposal that he had some time ago about blanket protocols that was rejected by the opposition.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Speaker, I rise on a point of order on specific relevance. I was asking about the New South Wales Police Commissioner's request for specific information which the government has refused. Why?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I have answered the member's question. I say to the member once again—and I think the reason he got up so quickly to the dispatch box is he does not want to be reminded that in this area he put out a policy that members of the opposition backbench were disgusted by.
Opposition members interjecting—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
You're a hypocrite!
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
I withdraw.