Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's just call out this shameful episode for what it is: this is an opposition that is, quite frankly, devoid of ideas, devoid of any kind of policy and devoid of direction. What they are doing is making a pitiful attempt to claw and draw attention to what is an incredibly serious situation. We know that no Australian should ever live in fear in their own home, whether it be from someone who is pretending to be an officer of the law or whether it be someone that they're in an intimate relationship with. It is awful to see a woman on the television with a face blackened and bruised. The only thing that is worse than that is watching an opposition make hay from it in the media. It is truly despicable.

The fact that it is again being brought up in parliament as a matter of public importance today, to try and make political points, really is the nub of this matter today. I only have to look across the chamber and see barely a handful of people here. If this opposition were so hell-bent on drawing attention to this matter of public importance they would all be here, but they aren't. The issue is this: they love nothing more than to light a flame under a pool of fear and watch the flames rise, because they know that when Australians are worried and nervous it somehow draws power to them. Let me say that the contributions of people like the member for Higgins, who spoke today, are in complete contrast to that argument. She gave calming words and said, 'Australia can be better and bigger than the xenophobic, paltry debate that we've heard from those opposite today.' It truly belittles us as a country when people try to score politically from things that aren't good but should be treated with so much more strength and dignity.

For the members newly elected on the other side: when they speak about our government and what we've done, know that we have been in government for two years and we have not abolished any of the Border Force protections they proclaim that we have. In their term of government, when boats arrived—and they did—we didn't hear about them; they were conveniently described as 'on-water matters' and never spoken of. Those opposite weren't transparent, and somehow, by the cover of darkness and deceit, they thought they were getting away with it. Well, they weren't.

Australians need to remember that when we came to government we had to deal with a backlog of one million immigration applications. There was so much work that had just been left undone or ignored. Quite frankly, they don't really care about keeping our borders secure. What they care about is their own positions of power. By setting off fear in the Australian public, they perceive that they can keep that power.

Well, we're not fearmongering. We're over here responsibly and diligently setting the policy, doing the work and working within the parameters of the law. Incidentally, some of the laws those opposite put in place have been found wanting by the High Court. What we are doing here is providing sensible, stable government. We know there are challenges. We know there is difficulty. Many parts of the world are in a perilous state. People do seek asylum, and it is challenging and difficult. But, rather than just trying to create this smog of fear, we are diligently and responsibly working through the challenges that we face. We are doing our best, and our best is so much better than anything those opposite could ever offer. I say to the Australian people: it isn't easy, but we are working hard for you and we are keeping you safe. We want Australia to be a safe and secure nation.

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