THE HON. PHILIP RUDDOCK
MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION

Mr Ruddock, thanks for joining us.

Pleasure.

I’d like to ask you about this decision to reduce immigration.

Only by immigrants.

Pardon?

We’re only cutting down on the number of immigrants who can come into the country.

From overseas.

We believe that’s where they’re coming from, in the main, yes.

So other than immigrants, anyone can come?

No, no one else can come. I haven’t made myself clear. You can’t come into Australia if you’re not an immigrant. You’ve got to be an immigrant to get in. That’s what an immigrant is.

So you can’t come at all if you’re not an immigrant.

That’s right.

And you’re cutting down on the number who can come because they are immigrants.

Well, they won’t be immigrants now because we’re not going to let them in.

No, but they’d be immigrants if you’d let them come here.

No, they’d be Australians if we let them come in, but we’re not going to.

Mr Ruddock, you’re not making sense.

How dare you. I’m the Minister for…

Letting people in.

Keeping people out.

Who are you letting in?

Well, we let you in.

I was born here.

We’re not preventing people who were born here from coming in.

You’ve got nothing to worry about.

Why would you prevent people who were born here from coming in?

Yes. That was our feeling. (He is suddenly distracted and speaks in an urgent whisper.) Is that Pauline Hanson? In the other studio. Hello Pauline.

Mr Ruddock.

It is. It’s Pauline Hanson. Stand up.

Pardon?

Have some respect. Get up.

Mr Ruddock. You say this decision has got nothing to do with Pauline Hanson.

Nothing whatever, no. Hello there.

What are you going to do next?

Don’t know. I don’t know what she’s saying. See if we can find out what she’s saying. You never know what she’s going to say.

Why do you need to know what she’s saying?

So we can make a decision that’s got nothing to do with that either.

Do you agree with what Pauline Hanson is saying?

I don’t know what she is saying. I can’t hear her.

Do you agree with what she’s saying generally?

No I don’t. Certainly not. Hello Pauline. Philip Ruddock, Canberra.

Well, why don’t you make a stand against her?

Because I don’t wish to dignify her comments by entering into a discussion with her. I’ve met her you know. I’ve actually met Pauline Hanson.

If you don’t want to help her, why are you waiting to see what she says before you make your next policy announcement?

So that we as a government can continue to be completely uninfluenced by her unrepresentative, poisonous, racist policies. Oh, she’s looking over here. Look at that. She recognises me. Philip Ruddock. Good morning.

She’s writing something for you. She’s going to hold it up.

No, I can’t send Aborigines out dear. I’m only in charge of who’s coming in. I’m sorry, I can’t. Yes, I agree with you dear but…

You said you didn’t.

Shut up, I’m talking to the Prime Minister.