Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (15:18): I thank the member for Werriwa for his question. It brings us to a matter that was the subject of discussion a little earlier on in question time. This is a matter that is very important to the national interest and a matter in which it is very important that this parliament and every member within it proceeds understanding the facts. The facts are these: after the High Court case of recent weeks, the government has received legal advice from the Solicitor-General which deals with the outcome of the High Court case and makes it abundantly clear that for executive government—for this government; for any government in the future—to have the power beyond legal doubt to process or transfer asylum seekers to countries outside Australia, the Migration Act needs amending. It is the intention of the government to bring to the parliament amendments to the Migration Act that achieve that. They will not be country specific. They will enable executive government—this executive government; any executive government in the future—to implement the decision it believes is best in the national interest. I understand that there is a sharp difference of opinion between the government and the opposition on what should be done based on that kind of power. The government is committed to the arrangement we struck with Malaysia and to a complementary centre in PNG. The opposition has a different view. It has a view about Nauru. Clearly, in question time a little bit earlier we were contesting those two policies and the merits and advice that leads to them. The government maintains that the expert advice leads it to the Malaysia arrangement as having the best deterrence value. Of course the opposition is at complete liberty to take a different view even when they have received expert advice. If they make a determination that policy is different, that is a matter for them. But we are asking the opposition in the national interest to step forward and work with the government to amend the Migration Act so that executive government—this executive government; any executive government of this nation in the future—has the power that it will need to transfer asylum seekers to third countries. Members of the parliament may have seen an exchange between me and the Leader of the Opposition following a discussion of these questions. The Leader of the Opposition said to me: 'Do you really expect me to accept an invitation couched in these terms? All I get is bile from you.' That was what the Leader of the Opposition said to me. Let me make it absolutely transparent to this parliament—and I believe it needs to be on the public record—that, yes, I do expect the Leader of the Opposition to accept an invitation couched in these terms because it is in the national interest. I do not expect the Leader of the Opposition to allow his tender feelings to interrupt a proper consideration of the national interest. If the Leader of the Opposition has problems with statements made by me, well, poor petal, but we will have a political contest about those. What should not happen is that this nation's national interest is held hostage to the monstrous arrogance of the Leader of the Opposition. He should work with the government to amend the Migration Act. That is in the national interest and he should get it done.