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

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The package of measures, which have been put to this parliament, which is opposed by Labor and the Greens, addresses this caseload while also strengthening our border protection regime. It denies the people smugglers' promise, which those opposite want to honour. It strengthens the turn back provisions under the Maritime Powers Act, the turn backs which those opposite want to turn back. It establishes a fair and efficient process for resolving the 30,000 cases that are languishing, and languished, on the watch of those opposite. It gives 25,000 people on bridging visas working rights while they wait for these claims to be processed.

The caseload of people who arrived after 19 July to the end of the year, which under the previous government's policy, and under our government's policy until now, would be going to Nauru and would be able to be brought onshore and processed onshore. This included 460 and more children which will be taken out of detention as a result of that decision. We will increase the refugee and humanitarian intake responsibly and sustainably, and fund it by a total of 7,500 places over the budget and forward estimates. That is something I know the member for Brisbane, the member for Deakin, the member for Reid and the member for Hindmarsh have been committed advocates for some time.

These commitments would not have been possible had this government not been so successful in stopping the boats. This is a package of measures that will clean up the mess that those opposite left behind, and it will continue to stop the deaths at sea, deaths that occurred at will under the previous government.

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