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

The humanitarian dividend is of course important because over that same period of 159 days there have been no deaths at sea by people seeking to come to this country. I note that it is important to be across the facts of this issue, particularly if you are operating in this portfolio area. I notice that the shadow minister today, speaking at the Press Club, made the statement that there had been no deaths at sea since 19 July. That is a false statement because he should know that there have been 79 deaths at sea since 19 July. He should know that. I think that calls into question this shadow minister's ability to get across the facts, to understand the issues and to be competent in the portfolio. On all those criteria, under the previous government he would have sat satisfactorily as a minister for immigration, based on their performance.

There is also a $2.5 billion boat-stopping dividend in this budget. Those opposite remain in denial about the problem, as we heard today. They also remain in denial about the solution to the problem. They deny their culpability in border protection failure, that they started the boats, and they deny the fact that this government has been successful to date in stopping the boats. But there is method to their mad denial because they know, if they accept the fact that this coalition's policies are doing exactly what they said they would do, then they would have to adopt them and they would have to keep them. We know, if they were ever to return to these benches, they would turn back on turnbacks, that is for sure. They would turn back on turnbacks. They would roll over on offshore processing. It would only be a matter of time because they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to introduce it. They would be rolled over by their backbench before long and they would continue to honour the promise of people smugglers for those who had arrived illegally by boat by giving them permanent visas.

This government has a plan to stop the boats which is working and is opposed by those on the other side of the House. We have a plan to fix this budget, which is opposed by those sitting on that side of the House.

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