The Prime Minister has denied allegations she misled the Australia public about her government's plans to expand the onshore detention network.
Julia Gillard fielded questions over plans to house asylum seekers at the Scherger Airforce Base in Northern Queensland.
"Now that the government has announced that RAF Base Scherger will be used as a detention centre how can anybody believe any promise made by the government," said Liberals MP Warren Entsch.
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The PM says the decision to make use of the Scherger Base was announced on the 17th of September, when works were not in progess there.
However, according to local media, construction work was under way at the centre from early August.
A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said that there were no plans to house asylum seekers there, and that the construction work was a matter for the defence department.
There are also suggestions that the government plans to expand the Curtin detention centre to 3,000 places, but the PM has denied this.
Residents of Weipa have concerns about the reports, but say they would be willing to accept asyulm seekers if the detention centre brings an economic benefit to the mining town.
