Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy. Is it government policy not to turn back asylum seeker boats, even if it is safe and possible to do so?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. I guess when you are digging a hole, they usually tell you to stop digging, but those opposite have been exposed cruelly by the utter incompetence of their shadow foreign minister. Let's put on the record the position of the Indonesian government. In an interview just recently with the Vice President, the host asks: 'But that stops the territorial integrity and Indonesia will not accept Australian vessels trying to return asylum seekers to Indonesian ports.' To which the Vice President replied: 'Well, that is the position at the moment.' The host goes on to ask: 'What do you think will happen?'

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Senator Abetz, you are again trying to help out Ms Bishop, who makes such a fool of herself. The host said: 'What do you think would happen to relations between Jakarta and Canberra if an Australian government did try to have boatloads of asylum seekers returned to Indonesian territory?' 'I would hope we would talk about that before it happens,' he said.

Indonesia's ambassador—someone else who has also exposed what a complete and utter charlatan and incompetent the shadow foreign minister is—said:

Indonesia is a transit country and we are also the victim of this situation. I think it's not possible for the Coalition to say that it has to go to Indonesia.

That is because Indonesia is not the origin country of these people. He went on the say: 'No such collaboration will happen between Indonesia and Australia to bring back the people to Indonesia.' (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Personal abuse is never a substitute for an answer. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that more than 44,000 people have arrived on more than 724 boats since Mr Rudd and Labor abandoned the policies the Howard government had successfully instituted to stem the flow of asylum seekers to this country, why does the government continue to refuse to turn back boats, even if it is safe and possible to do so?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is again another excellent question; when you are digging a hole, just keep digging, Senator. I thank my colleague, Senator Carr for this: what happened on the weekend in the Australian Financial Review? The opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, was asked about this very issue. What was his response? Scott Morrison refused to outline how the policy would be implemented except to say it would 'not violate the territorial integrity of Indonesia's waters'. Your own policy has been shredded not once or twice, but you do not even have the guts to stand up and tell the truth to the Australian people that your policy cannot work. It goes even to Mr Michael Keenan, who has said that the boats will be turned back to Indonesian ports. This is what he actually said— (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it not a fact that, having abandoned the Howard government's successful border protection policies, the government has simply thrown up its hands, given up the fight and abrogated its responsibilities by letting the people smugglers, not the government, decide who comes to this country and the conditions on which they come?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The person who abandoned John Howard's policy is named Scott Morrison. On the weekend he had every opportunity to tell the truth about how those opposite intended to deliver on their policy. And he refused. As I was saying, when Mr Keenan comes to turning these boats back around it will be sending Indonesian flagged boats with an Indonesian crew back to the Indonesian port from which they left. That is the stated policy, except that Mr Morrison will not back that up. Senator Abetz will not back that up. Even the Indonesian government is saying, in black and white, 'That it is not going to happen; not now and not ever'. There is no towing back into territorial waters, but Mr Morrison had the chance to put some substance into Senator Abetz's question and he refused. He ran away like the coward that he is.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, you should withdraw that.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr President.