Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I absolutely share the view of the member for Denison—that we want to get children out of detention. We absolutely want to get children out of detention; and the only way to get children out of detention is to stop the boats, and that is exactly what this government has done. The only way to keep children alive is to stop the boats, and that is exactly what this government has done.

At its peak, when the people-smuggling trade was in full swing—under members opposite—when the red carpet was being rolled out every day for the people smugglers and their customers—there were almost 2,000 children in detention. Because this government has stopped the boats, there are about 100 illegal maritime arrival children in immigration detention in Australia, and about the same number in Nauru—a 90 per cent reduction in the numbers of children in detention. I do not like seeing any child in detention. No-one does. But if we want to see no children in immigration detention, we need no illegal boat arrivals. That is exactly what this government has delivered. And we know that members opposite want to give the people smugglers their business back. That is what they want to do. Because we had no less a person than the Deputy Leader of the Opposition come out and say yesterday that Labor was opposed to turn-backs. At the heart of any serious policy to stop the boats is a readiness to turn boats around when it is safe to do so.

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