House debates Questions without Notice
Asylum Seekers
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
2:33 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister that yesterday she told the House:
… if police request information then, of course, police requests are answered …
How does the Prime Minister reconcile that statement with the fact that all police commissioners have agreed that address details of asylum seekers released into the community on bridging visas should be made available to police, that this request has been made to the department of immigration and that this request has been denied?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
To the shadow minister's question, what I can say is that there are two issues. There is the general issue he raises and there is a more specific issue involving New South Wales. On the more specific issue involving New South Wales I can advise the member who asked the question, and the House, that there is work happening between senior officers of the immigration department and the—
Mr Morrison interjecting—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! Does the member for Cook want an answer or not?
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
I do.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I would have thought the member would be interested in this, that there is work happening between senior officers of the department of immigration and the assistant commissioner in New South Wales. On other issues involving police then there is ongoing work between the department and those police services.
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
2:34 pm
I have a supplementary question to the Prime Minister. Why is the government making the work of our state and territory police forces harder by denying them the information, which they continue to deny, that they say is necessary to do their job of keeping our community safe?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
2:35 pm
First of all, the imputation in the question is not correct. Second, federal agencies—
Scott Morrison Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
You're not giving them the information.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The member for Cook will leave the chamber under 94(a).
The member for Cook then left the chamber—
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
As usual, the opposition cannot stand facts because they get in the way of its fear campaign, and one of the masters of fear campaigning in the opposition ranks is leaving the chamber now. To the member, as he leaves the chamber, who is trying to raise—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors
Madam Speaker, on a point of order: the answer needs to be directly relevant and 'directly' has a specific meeting as a result of the change to the standing orders. There is no way in the world that a diatribe about the member is answering it.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. She is abusing points of order.
Government members interjecting—
I might chuck somebody else out if they're not careful! If I could work out who it was they'd be gone. The Prime Minister has the call.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
I was talking about fear campaigns as opposed to facts. If the opposition does want the facts, as opposed to simply shouting and carrying on, then the facts are these. The member for Cook has consistently claimed that a request from law enforcement agencies has been received. No formal written request has been received. A request for information was made in conversations between the New South Wales Police Commissioner and the department. This request resulted in an initial discussion, and work is ongoing.