Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

It is analogous—as I have just been reminded by my colleague at the table—to the situation in Vietnam in the mid-seventies. In 1975, when there was the fall of Saigon—as it was then called—we saw an influx of boats towards Australia subsequent to that particular conflict. We are now seeing an increase in the number of displaced people seeking haven in this country as a result of that conflict. Equally, it is important to note that it is true that Afghanistan has had conflicts over the last 30 years, and 2008 was the most violent year according to the United Nations. The United Nations Secretary, reporting to the UN Security Council, made clear that 2008 was the most violent year in Afghanistan, leading to an increase in the number seeking haven. It is also important to note that, whilst we have seen an increase in the number seeking haven in Australia, we are the target of approximately 1½ per cent of those people. Ninety-six per cent of those people from Afghanistan were seeking haven in Europe; 97 per cent of those people from Iraq were seeking haven in Europe; and 82 per cent of those people from Sri Lanka, I am advised, were seeking haven in Europe or, indeed, North America or Canada. The fact is that we still have to deal with this very important issue and we need to do it by balancing a hardline approach against people smugglers with a humane approach towards those people who find themselves, in many cases, in a desperate situation.

That is why in the last year the Australian Federal Police, through their efforts and in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies within the region, have contributed to the charging of more than 50 people. There have been 15 convictions in the last year that go to people-smuggling offences. That is evidence of the increased dedication to resources to dismantle those organised syndicates. There are still plenty of challenges, and for that reason we will continue to work very closely with our friends within the region. Only last month, the Indonesian national police established a people-smuggling task force for the very first time which comprises 145 sworn officers in 12 locations in Indonesia tackling this particular problem. That should be commended. They are now working very closely with the Australian Federal Police in relation to efforts to prosecute those people smugglers.

I think it is disingenuous of the coalition to suggest that they were not aware that there would be surges from time to time. Clearly, the reason why the coalition constructed the Christmas Island detention centre, completed quite recently, was that they knew, regardless of the surge declining after 2001, that there would be a significant number of arrivals again. The reason why the coalition spent $405 million of taxpayers’ money on constructing the detention centre after 2001 is proof positive that they knew then what they know now, which is that conflicts will arise around the world, but particularly in our region, which will lead to people seeking haven in this country. That is what we have seen as a result of the conflicts in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, and therefore we have to continue to work very closely with our friends within the region to prevent those people from attempting to get to this country improperly.

Let us be very clear about this. What we do not want to do is return to a time when people were sewing their lips together in detention centres because they were of the view that they were locked away forever. We do not want to return to children behind barbed wire. We do not want to return to a situation which caused enormous angst and anxiety within our country. Therefore it is very important that we—as leaders of this country, representatives in this chamber—have a temperate debate because we are dealing with not only complex issues but also very emotional issues. Clearly it is incumbent upon the government to act in a calm and temperate manner and I do believe, respectfully, that it is incumbent upon the opposition in matters like this, when we are dealing with very vulnerable people, to also conduct the debate in a humane and temperate manner. It is important that we do that.

Clearly there are some that choose not to go down that path. It is always unfortunate when people seek to blame the government of their own country for fatalities. It is always awful to see some person so desperate as to try to blame this country, or its policies, for tragic fatalities. I would advise those opposite that that is certainly not the way that people would expect them to behave. We know, of course, that there have been tragedies in this country. We know there are maritime fatalities. But I do not believe that should be used in a manner to level an attack against the government of this country. Governments of either political persuasion should not be placed in that position. It is not the way we should be embarking upon this debate.

I accept the community has concerns about this issue. It is why the Rudd Government will continue to dedicate resources to protect the integrity of our borders, to protect the integrity of our immigration system, to provide humanitarian relief for those people who are desperate, to ensure we continue to fund the UNHCR—an international organisation of migration—in order to provide assistance to our friends within the region, to provide assistance at least to some of those many millions of people around the world who are suffering through conflicts. (Time expired)

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