Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
3:12 pm
Madam Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
I do, Madam Speaker.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
The Prime Minister on 19 November and the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection on 20 November, 4 December, 5 December and 9 December compared the number of vessels carrying asylum seekers when I was Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship to since the election and claimed an 80 per cent reduction. By the time of the election, with me as minister, arrivals were averaging two boats a week—a rate lower than what arrived last week.