Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a great privilege to be able to stand and speak this afternoon on the MPI about the government's failure to keep our streets safe and our borders secure, moved by the member for Wannon. And I want to acknowledge the fine contributions made by members of the coalition on this matter today. It has been a long-held tradition that the MPI is a topic that the opposition brings to the House for debate and consideration. At the fundamental core of this debate is trust. It's the same trust a child has when looking for safety—that trust they have in their parent. It's the same trust that should exist with the Australian public in their government—that trust that exists when it comes to keeping their streets and borders safe.

But on too many unfortunate occasions we have seen this government, time and time and time again, erode that trust of the Australian public—that trust that should be lock fast, that trust that should allow them to sleep of a night without fear of their home being invaded. That trust is paramount to this debate. That trust was eroded on 200 occasions when this government indicated that they would give a $275 electricity cut. That's when the trust started to be chipped away.

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