Border Protection Discussions: Tony Abbott

19/09/11

TRANSCRIPT OF THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MHR

REMARKS, PARLIAMENT HOUSE

CANBERRA

E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………

The one thing I just want to say is that I’m looking forward to discussions with the Prime Minister later on but there won’t be a blank cheque for a bad Government, particularly for a minister who was about to resign just two weeks ago. I am troubled by the way this legislation strips out protections that the Howard Government thought were necessary and I think it’s a pity that this hasn’t been more fully discussed in the Labor caucus. If I am troubled, I think that members of this parliament who were highly critical of what they saw as a lack of protections in the Howard Government’s border protection regime should be absolutely appalled by what this Government is now proposing.