Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer him to the interview with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government on the ABC’s Lateline last night, in particular to the minister’s response to a question about whether the Australian government had a moral responsibility to ensure children aboard the Oceanic Viking would not be detained behind bars at the Tanjung Pinang detention centre. The minister’s answer was, ‘Well, Tony, what’s the moral issue?’ Will the Prime Minister guarantee that the children aboard the Oceanic Viking will not be detained behind bars?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition in particular for that question, which comes from the party of children behind razor wire. I thank the opposition in particular for raising a question from the party of ‘children overboard’. I thank the opposition in particular for the consistency of their moral purpose in asking questions of this nature. Could it be that again this question has a little bit to do with the overall politics of stereotyping which the digging dirt document refers to as well?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: my question to the Prime Minister was whether he will guarantee that children aboard the Oceanic Viking will not be detained behind bars. Will he answer that question?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. She has made her point of order on relevance. The Prime Minister is responding to the question.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Are we interrupting somebody’s conversations here? The Prime Minister has the call and it does not assist the House to have all these conversations across the table by the frontbenches.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recall in particular that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s question referred to moral issues and what I was seeking to respond to was the moral content or non-content of their policy on handling asylum seekers in the period that they were in office. As for the proper treatment of asylum seekers anywhere in the world, and including in Indonesia, we would expect that in consultation with the UNHCR and the IOM proper conditions are provided for the treatment of asylum seekers. We actually cooperate with the UNHCR, in fundamental contrast with the culture of noncooperation led by the member for Menzies and the member for Berowra in the past who prided themselves on sitting outside the framework of international—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sturt. The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister concluded?

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I intend to take a point of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Before the member for Berowra takes the point of order, the member for Sturt will withdraw.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know full well what you are withdrawing. It was an interjection that you made towards the end of the Prime Minister’s answer.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sturt will go to the despatch box and he will show some leadership to his side by withdrawing as he is required.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I will seek your indulgence at a later point in time to deal with the very serious reflection on my integrity in relation to refugee issues.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Berowra will resume his seat.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley may as well sit down, because I am not willing to proceed with the House behaving in this manner. Thanks for proving my point—you just continue. I would hope that members would start to show a little bit more respect on a fairly sensitive issue over several parliaments.

Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hope the Prime Minister will start—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Father of the House, by indicating that he knew that there were other avenues open to him, I thought had settled that point in time. Then several members engaged across the table in unwarranted debate. If you want to have a debate, find a mechanism to have the debate. This is question time. There are questions about things that have raised the emotions of members on both sides. I would have thought that that would ring some alarm bells for members on both sides to perhaps settle down a little bit.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have ruled by not ruling at all. I simply say to several members in this place that, whilst I try to disregard the way in which people behave in other aspects of the way the House is operating, I just remind individuals that, if when they approach the dispatch box—give an inch, take a mile, then bounce up—they are seeking some cooperation at a delayed point, that cooperation might not be forthcoming. My ruling has been that the member for Berowra suggested that he would be taking an action, and I am satisfied that I will allow him at the appropriate time at the end of question time to take that action.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Pursuant to standing orders 89 and 90, the Prime Minister’s remarks were offensive and I ask that you request he withdraw.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member has been so concerned by the remarks, in the context of assisting the proper carriage of business of the House I will ask the Prime Minister to withdraw.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley has morphed into the member for Wakefield. The member for Wakefield has the call.