Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I have no information within my folder here which goes to the matters that would deal with the briefing I would give tomorrow. But I will tell you this: once again, the communications protocols established for Operation Sovereign Borders provide for a once-weekly report to be provided by the commander of the JDF at that briefing which updates details of arrivals and transfers to offshore processing centres. That is the practice we will follow because that is the practice that ensures the integrity of the operation that we are running that has led to a 75 per cent reduction in illegal arrivals by boat to Australia since Operation Sovereign Borders was put in place. I know those opposite do not want to hear that figure. I know they do not want to hear the figure that arrivals by boat illegally under Operation Sovereign Borders have fallen by 75 per cent. That is a figure that they should reflect on because when they were in government we measured them in the thousands.

I am not going to violate a protocol that has been put in place by the JDF to ensure the integrity of that operation for the entertainment of those members opposite or others. We will ensure the integrity of that operation just as we will ensure the integrity of our borders, because that is what the Australian people elected us to do. We are doing what we said we would do and we will get on and do it.

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