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Monday, 19 September 2011
Page: 10478

Asylum Seekers

Ms O'NEILL (Robertson) (14:01): My question is to the Prime Minister. What is the government's response to the recent decision by the High Court regarding the processing of asylum seekers?

Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:01): I thank the member for Robertson for her question. It is a serious question about a matter that is a serious issue in our national public policy debate and a serious question for our country. The processing of asylum seekers has featured in our politics for a very long period of time, well over a decade. During that period we have seen tragedy at sea, we have seen people get on to leaky boats, we have seen people pay money to people smugglers and give money to people who are preying on their desperation. I believe across this parliament people generally want to ensure that we do have an orderly migration system and that we are doing what we need to do to protect Australia's borders but that, at the same time, we are extending the compassion and concern that our nation has shown over many decades towards refugees—that is, that we honour our obligations under the refugee convention.

During the course of today I did provide the Leader of the Opposition with some newly drafted amendments to the Migration Act. They are to achieve what the government set out to achieve after the High Court case—that is, they are to achieve a situation where executive government has the power to make the decisions it believes necessary in relation to offshore processing. The opposition received a legal briefing on Friday and a set of draft amendments were provided at that point. There are obviously a number of ways of achieving the same outcome. I have provided Leader of the Opposition with a new draft and I thank him for his consideration of that new draft.

What we are talking about here is an issue that is of national importance and I believe Australians today are looking to this parliament to act and to show some resolution. I believe Australians are looking to this parliament to deal with these new amendments in a way that is not politics as usual. I believe the Australian nation is looking to us to deal with these new amendments in a way that is not politics as usual, in a way that resolves this issue and enables the nation to put it behind us. As we come to consider these new amendments, I believe that is what should be on the mind of every member of parliament. This issue is asking us to act in a way different to politics as usual and to seek some common ground.

In providing these new amendments to the Leader of the Opposition today, we seek some common ground. The new amendments have been provided in the spirit of not pursuing politics as usual. The new amendments have been provided so our nation can put this issue behind us and move on, confident that executive government has the powers it needs to implement offshore processing as it sees fit but always in accordance with our obligations under the refugee convention.