Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The government certainly sees as a top priority the effort to keep our borders secure, because if we keep our borders secure we can keep our country safe. The government inherited an enormous mess when it came to border protection. The fact is some 50,000 people came on 800 boats, and, tragically, 1,200 people drowned at sea. We were able to implement Operation Sovereign Borders and make a number of changes. We have seen a stop to those boats, even though the people smugglers are still there, probably waiting for a Labor government at some point into the future—they would believe, rightly, that they'd be back in business.

There was a debate last weekend in Victoria and there was a proposal, given the civil war that's taking place on border protection within the Labor Party at the moment, for their policy to be debated at the conference in Victoria. But, as we now know, the debate never proceeded because the CFMMEU moved its block of votes in support of the Leader of the Opposition to close the debate down. So riven with division is the opposition they don't even want to air the for and against on border protection policy. Why is this unholy alliance continuing between the CFMMEU and the Leader of the Opposition? There is a long and sordid history when it comes to the CFMMEU and the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is personal friends with many within the CFMMEU. The fact is that millions and millions of dollars have been donated by the CFMMEU to the Labor Party, and we know now that over 70 CFMMEU officials have been charged with offences. It is the most lawless union in the country. I note again that this Leader of the Opposition refuses to rule out taking money from the CFMMEU. Whereas Bob Hawke disassociated himself with those unions that had gone rogue, this Leader of the Opposition clearly does not have the character. I noticed in The Courier-Mail this week that a CFMMEU official, Mr Dave Hanna, has been charged with rape.

Ms Husar interjecting—

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