QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (15:05): Fact 1: a non-government organisation took this government to court, demanding that we repatriate these people. Fact 2: they lost that court case. Fact 3: we did not repatriate these people, unlike the former process of both the former government and this government in its first term early on.

Fact 4: Krissy Barrett appeared in the Senate estimates, which the member has referred to, so I'll quote Krissy Barrett, the AFP commissioner, very directly: I do want to provide assurance and confidence that the AFP remains appropriately prepared and positioned to respond to any self-managed returns from the internally displaced persons camps, alongside our Commonwealth and state partners.

She went on to say—a direct quote again … we are always positioned and prepared for any self-managed returns from that region … Op Howth, for example … has been an ongoing investigation since 2014. Think about that. Fact 5— The SPEAKER: The question was about how Australians can have confidence, and I think, if the Prime Minister is reading facts in about the question he was asked, it's going to be very difficult to raise a point of order on relevance.

Ms Ley: The point of order is on relevance, Mr Speaker, because the substance of my question was the contradiction heard in the House today about assistance and support provided to returning ISIS members, not transcripts from Senate estimates, not statements by the AFP commissioner— The SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Ms Ley: The contradiction between the Prime Minister and the— The SPEAKER: Yes, that wasn't the question.

The question was: how can Australians have confidence in the Prime Minister? That wasn't the question. That was in the question, but that wasn't the question.

So if you're going to ask a question specifically about confidence, and the Prime Minister or any minister is reading facts and then transcripts about the issue that was raised directly in Senate estimates—or I'm not sure where the commissioner raised those comments—anyone listening to this would say that is being directly relevant. Mr ALBANESE: Fact 5: 2014, when Operation Howth was established, was under the Abbott government, not under this government, because Australians have rights.

If the question is whether we are repatriating people, the answer to that is no. If the question is, 'Do Australian citizens have rights?' the answer to that is, of course, yes. We are not repatriating these people.

With regard to the AFP commissioner's evidence in Senate estimates last night, it was very clear: … we have a number of ongoing investigations, matters, that relate to Australians who've travelled overseas, and I want to provide confidence and assurance that we remain prepared and positioned for any returns, self-managed returns, alongside our partner agencies.

Fact 6: we on this side of the House have confidence in the Australian Federal Police. I'd suggest that every member in this parliament should do so as well and should not try to mislead people and play politics with something such as this.