PM: I've seen some comments from Mr Tuckey this morning. The first point I'd make is that in Australia, for a long, long time, we have applied health checks and security checks to asylum seekers wherever they come from around the world. And these are prudent approaches, it's the right approach, to ensure that folk who come to our country have met basic physical standards, but also met basic security standards as well. And this has been the case for a long, long time and it is the case today as well.
But when I look at these remarks today, they are of an entirely different character. You know, since World War II we've had nearly three quarters of a million refugees make their home in Australia. We've had about 150,000 come to make their home in Australia in the period of the Howard Government, 15,000 or so arrived by boat in the period of the Howard Government.
So what is Mr Tuckey actually saying about all those people? I think these are deeply divisive, disgusting remarks and they do not belong in any mainstream Australian political party. I think Mr Turnbull should show some leadership, and withdraw his support for Mr Tuckey's preselection as a Liberal candidate for the next election.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you confident that there are no terrorists onboard these boats that are coming to Australia?
PM: Can I say that, throughout the period that I've been Prime Minister, and I'm sure the case before as well, when it comes to asylum seekers, whether by boat or by other means, necessary security checks are made to ensure that people pass security muster. That's what they're there for. Always have been, and will be into the future. Therefore, that's the way in which you handle these things.
But to go out there and to smear asylum seekers in the way in which Mr Tuckey has done, I say again, is divisive, I think is disgusting, and I don't believe belongs in a mainstream political party today.
JOURNALIST: Do you apologise for calling asylum seekers illegal immigrants?
PM: I stand by everything that I have said, because we are dealing with a combination of asylum seekers, illegal immigration - we've already tossed back to various countries around the world, people who did not pass basic refugee tests. So we are dealing with both those challenges. These remarks by Mr Tuckey are of an entirely different order, and it's time Mr Turnbull showed some leadership, some character, some backbone, and withdrew publicly and formally his support for Mr Tuckey's preselection as a Liberal candidate for the next election.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) Do you think it's time everyone, including yourself, approached this issue with a little more compassion?
PM: Our approach to asylum seekers has been consistent with everything we said to the Australian people prior to the last election. We said what we would do by way of policy changes. We've done that. We've changed Temporary Protection visas. We've done what we said we'd do in relation to the Pacific Solution. We've taken children away from behind the razor wire.
These are consistent with what we said prior to the election. I notice that on each of those measures, our political opponents did not object at the time when we made those changes. Our approach is clear-cut. We believe in a tough but humane approach to asylum seekers. It's consistent with what we said to the Australian people before the election.
This is hard for all Governments around the world. But you know, if you're being serious about this, we are dealing with challenges in source countries, dealing with challenges in transit countries, dealing with challenges of course in interdicting vessels at sea, and dealing of course with the processes of mandatory detention of proper processing to ensure that you're dealing with the physical and security questions which are part and parcel of the proper processes of Government.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: Oh what SBY and I have talked about is a new framework. We have talked about this on the phone. We have talked about it in our meeting the other day. A new framework for cooperation between the two Governments on people smuggling. The Lombok Treaty makes clear that people smuggling is a focus for bilateral cooperation. Bali Process does that multilaterally across the countries of the region. And what the Indonesian President and I are talking about is a fresh framework for how we take that level of cooperation to a new level.
Obviously, as I said I think in the Parliament yesterday, we'll be looking at how we can better resource our friends in Indonesia and elsewhere to assist with some of these challenges, and we'll continue to work our way through the detail in the months ahead.
Any proper approach, any proper approach to dealing with the problem of people smuggling means that you must be dealing in source countries, as we are seeking to do in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and elsewhere, in transit countries, the challenges that we're dealing with our friends in South East Asia, as well as our own policies here at home. Matthew, you had a question.
JOURNALIST: Do you think that the last election result showed that the man in the street is uncomfortable with the kind of rhetoric that we are hearing again from the Opposition on this issue? And in other words, do you believe that the Opposition is consciously, purposely politicising this and in the process defying public expectation?
PM: I'll leave it for the Australian people to make up their own mind on these matters. But what I'd say is that we were very clear-cut about what we would do prior to the last election. And we've honoured those commitments. We believe we've got a balanced policy, which is tough when it comes to people smuggling, which is humane when it comes to dealing with asylum seekers.
That's the sort of balance I believe the Australian people want to see. As my last though is this, it's almost as if any time a Liberal leader gets into serious trouble out comes old faithful, which is how to whack the asylum seekers card. And can I say, I think as a country we're better than that. It's time to move on to a mature approach. Can I say more broadly, the challenge for people smuggling and boat arrivals will be with us into the future, as well. It's been with us since Vietnamese boat people started arriving here in the late 1970's.
As I've said in recent interviews, we've had boats arriving in this country I think, every year for the last, you know, 20 years or so. And they surge and they fall, they surge and they fall, as I said in the Parliament yesterday. Look what's happened with the figures on Iraq, on Afghanistan and also on other parts of the region as well, like Sri Lanka.
What we've seen in this country is a surge in activity, when we've seen a global surge in activity. What you've seen is a contraction in activity, when you've seen those numbers fall around the world. So our challenge as civilised countries is to work with partner countries around the world and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to work out the best solution to what is a huge problem for everybody.
We believe we've got the best and most balanced approach, the pressures will continue in the future. We're going to have these sorts of challenges in the future as well, but we'll maintain an approach which we believe to be balanced, one which is tough, but humane in dealing with the challenges of people smuggling. Laurie?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I'd like to ask you the question that's dominating talkback radio today. We've got the case of a bloke who has been charged with sending harassing (inaudible) letters to the families of diggers who've died. Should we have a provision whereby someone like that if they're convicted can have their citizenship withdrawn (inaudible)
PM: First thing I'd say Laurie is that I'm very mindful that there is a criminal investigation on foot, and I therefore have to be very careful about what I say. So I make that very clear statement upfront. The second is, when you think of the families involved here, and I have met many of them at the funerals of their sons, every decent-minded Australian should be giving those families not just a thought but a prayer and their support, in any practical way when these horrible things are brought back to their memory, and brought back in a way which is lacking all humanity. On the question you ask about the law, as this matter proceeds and subsequent to its conclusion and investigation, and I make no comments in terms of the content of the investigation which is underway, or the individual - it's important to reflect upon the strength of our laws generally in dealing with cases in the future where some of the assumptions underpinning immigration conditions have not been honoured. I do not have a specific response to that. I want to reflect on this, and look carefully at what emerges from this and related cases.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) but you will consider changing the law so that you can-
PM: No, I'll be very specific about what I say Laurie, I want to reflect on it. I'm very careful about what I say in terms of the specifics of this case. There is a criminal investigation underway. But my recollection of the provisions of Australian immigration law is that certain undertakings are made when people come to this country.
It may or may not be possible to adjust those laws. I'd like to reflect however, on their application in individual cases and whether any change in the future may be necessary. I don't wish to create an expectation in that respect. I simply want to examine afresh. You know, when you pick up the front page of the Tele today, I think people, I think their stomachs turn.
Thank you.