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

It is always a pleasure to get a question from the bighearted member for Wright. I am asked about what impacts changes of policy on border protection have on people smugglers, and there is plenty of evidence on this fact. In August 2008, the Rudd Labor government at that time completed the demolition of the successful Howard government policies when they put through the abolition of temporary protection visas, following their own turn-back on turn-backs, and also going against and shutting down the Pacific solution. We know what happened after that—we went from an average of three boats a year under the last six years of the Howard government to an average of 165 boats a year over the next five years. Some almost 1,200 deaths later, some 800 boats later, and some 50,000 illegal arrivals later, this government has pulled the rug on Labor's people smuggler's picnic. That is what we have done. We have put the policies in place that have ensured people smugglers no longer have a product to sell, and it was achieved as a result of a change of policy and as a result of a change of leadership.

Critical in all of those policies was turning back boats. Prior to the turn back of boats, in the 10 months before, 300 boats turned up. What happened in the 10 months after? Just one boat. I was pleased that the shadow minister acknowledged that on the weekend. It was a glimmer of light. But that light was shut down so quickly from the captain of 'team idiot' over there. He was so quick to shut that down.

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