House debates Questions without Notice
Asylum Seekers
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
3:03 pm
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I add my welcome to yours. My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Does the foreign minister stand by her statement last month that people smugglers are starting to use money they receive to fund terrorism?
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I thank the member for Sydney for her question. The Australian government is concerned about the people-smuggling trade. That is precisely why we have acted to close it down. The people-smuggling trade are criminal syndicates, and we have worked constructively with the Indonesian government and Indonesian authorities since we came into government to ensure that we can disrupt the people-smuggling trade, because this trade leads to deaths at sea. Twelve hundred people are known to have died at sea under Labor's policies. Eleven billion dollars in cost blow-outs occurred—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There will be silence, and the member for McMahon will desist!
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
How many after Malaysia?
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
and 50,000 people, who paid on average about $10,000 to people smugglers, all did that under Labor's policies. So I do not expect to be lectured by the member for Sydney on matters to do with people-smuggling.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Isaacs will desist or leave! The choice is his.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I suggest she go back to her special topic: continents that are not countries!
Mr Snowdon interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Member for Lingiari, that is not a parliamentary term, and you will withdraw.
Mr Snowdon interjecting—
That is not what I heard.
Graham Perrett Moreton, Australian Labor Party
It was definitely a joke.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker