Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

This morning, with the passing of the carbon tax legislation through the other place, Australians witnessed their complete betrayal by the current Labor government. After all, this was the Labor government that went to the 2010 election under the platform, 'There will be no carbon tax under a government I lead,' a complete, total, utter and blatant lie. The topic I would like to raise today reflects another blatant lie perpetrated by the current Labor government on the Australian people—that is, the so-called Malaysian arrangement. After all, wasn't it the Prime Minister who said to the Australian people, 'I would rule out sending refugees anywhere that is not a signatory to the refugee convention'? Despite saying that to the people of Australia, what has the Prime Minister delivered to them? Ms Gillard has delivered the so-called Malaysian arrangement, the exact opposite of what she said to the people of Australia.

As each day passes, resistance and hostility to the Prime Minister's so-called Malaysian solution grows stronger. The problem for the Labor Party is that this opposition is not just from members on this side of the chamber; it is actually from all corners of the Australian Labor Party. Look at what just occurred at the Victorian state ALP conference. Delegates voted unanimously to urge the Labor caucus to reject the so-called Malaysian solution. But it does not stop with the Victorian branch of the ALP. What did Michele O'Neil, the National Secretary of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia have to say about the Gillard government's Malaysian solution? She said this: 'This is a shameful moment for us as a party.' Of course, that is in addition to the pleas of Labor statesman Senator John Faulkner, in addition to the pleas from left faction convener Senator Doug Cameron and in addition to the pleas from left faction member Senator Gavin Marshall, who we know have all stood up in caucus and spoken out against the Malaysian solution.

But it does not stop there. The federal government's proposed Malaysian solution is 'wrong on all counts' according to the Secretary General of Amnesty International. Salil Shetty, during a visit to Australia, called on the Australian government to raise its game on asylum seeker policy. He is reported as saying that the Malaysian solution is out of step with international refugee law and also out of touch with Australian public opinion. But it does not stop there. The opposition to the Malaysian arrangement continues to grow. We only have to go to the submissions and witnesses to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into the Malaysian arrangement. The majority of these submissions expressed their opposition in complete terms to the government's proposal. It would appear that the only person who is committed to perpetrating another lie on the Australian people is the current Prime Minister of Australia, Ms Gillard.