Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank members for their contributions to this debate, particularly the government members, who have been the major contributors to this debate. I want to thank the member for Forrest and my many other colleagues for their strong encouragement of the work that the government is doing not just in the area of customs but more broadly on the issues of border protection.

I also want to note that the opposition indicated their support for this bill in their response earlier today. This is a fairly significant moment. It is fairly common for the opposition to oppose us on border protection measures. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition must have been on autopilot because he did not even know he had voted against a bill here in this very place when the question was put to him about it today when he was speaking at the National Press Club. It is an oddity for the opposition to support this government on stronger border protection but, at least in this case, for what are fairly routine but nonetheless very important matters that are presented in this bill we welcome their support.

This bill is part of a much broader package of measures and initiatives that the government is bringing in on border protection, not just Operation Sovereign Borders and what is being done there to stop the boats so successfully and save lives as a result, to restore integrity to our immigration program and give Australians all over the country confidence in our immigration program. To see that confidence restored in the way our borders are being managed and the way our immigration program is being run in the surveys that have been most recently conducted by Professor Markus and the work of the Scanlon Foundation is very pleasing.

In border protection in particular we are working towards the start-up of the Australian Border Force on 1 July next year. That measure which will see both this year and over the out years the reinvestment of over $700 million back into our Customs and Border Protection Service and the Border Force reverses the cuts that were made to Customs and Border Protection by the previous government of the same amount over their time in government. So we have replaced what the previous government had removed when it comes to protecting our borders and ensuring not just the work of countering people smuggling but the very important work that is done in passage facilitation and goods facilitation.

The member for Forrest made a very good point—and that is that the tremendous work done by the Minister for Trade and Investment has opened up enormous opportunities for this country. That will see much trade now take place between Australia, Japan and Korea as well, of course, as with China. We look forward to arrangements with India and many more opportunities.

The truth of these things is that where those legitimate economic opportunities come, with the movement of both goods and people, the crooks use the same planes, the same internet and the same methods that legitimate traders do. That means that when we expand and open ourselves up, as we should, for greater economic opportunities we also then must redouble our efforts when it comes to ensuring that the crooks, gangs, thugs, people smugglers and traffickers are not able to exploit that increase in economic trade as an opportunity to ply their own nefarious activities and become rich as a result and compromise something that is very dear to this country, and that is the integrity of our borders. It is very much a matter of sovereignty.

These measures have also about bringing to the table quite straightforward, simple changes that will seek to tighten up the legislation even more and close off any loopholes and opportunities that we have identified such that those who might seek to compromise our borders will be frustrated in that purpose.

We have reversed those cuts. There was $88 million in addition to what I mentioned before, which was put in immediately upon coming to government. That has significantly increased our screening capacity. In the first quarter of this financial year, we saw a significant increase in the levels of detections as well as increased screening levels, particularly for sea cargo and air cargo. That is welcome.

There has also been a $150 million investment in our borders as part of the counter-terrorism package which I know many of the government speakers made reference to in their contributions to this debate. This is an omnibus bill that proposes some minor but important changes to the Customs Act of 1901. These changes will extend Customs control to places at which ships and aircraft arrive in Australia in accordance with section 58 of the act. They will also provide greater flexibility in relation to the reporting of the arrival of ships and aircraft in Australia and reporting of stores and prohibited goods on such ships and aircraft. The reforms contained in this bill will improve the application processes for approvals to load, unload and use ships' and aircrafts' stores and permissions to transfer goods between certain vessels and applications for certificates of clearance. These amendments will also support initiatives to enable online applications for these approvals, permissions and certificates.

Importantly, the reforms contained in this bill will extend Customs powers of examination to the baggage of domestic passengers on international flights and voyages and to domestic cargo that is carried on an international flight or voyage. Domestic cargo and domestic travellers and their personal effects are carried on domestic legs of international flights or voyages between Australian ports or airports other than proclaimed ports or airports by approved ships or aircraft. Domestic travellers on international flights or voyages access the Customs controlled areas of ports or airports and mix with international travellers prior to, during and after the domestic leg of the flight or voyage. Domestic cargo can currently be loaded and unloaded from a ship or aircraft on a domestic leg of an international voyage or flight without any authority or permission under the act. The mixing of domestic goods and imported goods or goods for export presents risks for diversion of goods from one stream to the other, especially if goods are of a kind that if imported or exported would be prohibited or subject to border related duties and taxes. The reforms in this legislation will expand the scope of Customs inspection powers to ensure that these vulnerabilities do not persist in the border management environment.

Further enhancements to the act contained in this bill include enhancements to the interaction of the infringement notice scheme with the claims process under the act in relation to prohibited imports and provisions that permit class based authorisations to include future officers or positions that come into existence after the authorisation is given. The amendments in this bill will enhance Customs controls and examination powers and improve Customs compliance and enforcement activities. These enhancements will modernise the environment within which the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and their successor, the Australian Border Force, operates and help ensure that our border management processes support the best possible systems to facilitate legitimate movement of people and goods and stop those who seek to conduct illicit and illegitimate activity on Australia's borders.

I thank the members for their contributions to this debate. The work of border protection is in the detail. It is about closing off every opportunity for those who would seek to compromise our borders. The package of measures in this bill is yet another step forward by the government to demonstrate our commitment to stronger borders in all areas. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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