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

Can I just take that interjection? Those on the other side, since I've been in the chamber, were not interrupted once by a member of this coalition. And I'm talking about trust that the Australian public should have in those on the other side. I can understand why they take umbrage, the member who interrupted, that person on the other side—they are who they should least trust. We had a cost-of-living crisis whereby on 13 occasions the Australian public could not trust this government. Then we saw that we couldn't trust this government when there was a $450 million spend on a referendum where not one state responded positively to what the government were asking the public to put their faith in.

But, closer to this debate: trust was betrayed when the 300 detainees were let out. Rightly, there was a comment from those on the other side about not all of those detainees being hard-core criminals. But there were seven murderers, and there were 37 sex offenders, and there were 72 violent offenders, of the 149 that were released on that charter. Not all were hardened criminals, but we don't put our best and brightest into detention centres. That's the fact.

We heard those on the other side talk about—or feign indignation at—racism. This is not a debate about racism. This is a debate about whether the Australian public should feel safe, and they don't; they do not feel safe. There have been 17 boat arrivals since this government came into office. Each time one of those boats arrives the Australian public's trust in this government is eroded—and it should, rightly, be eroded. That's because this government has signalled to the people smugglers that the Australian Labor Party is open for business for them. The Australian public will have their opportunity to square it up on border security at the next election in terms of whose policies worked and whose failed.

There was a comment from the other side, from the last speaker, that we are 'devoid of ideas'. Well, let me paint a policy position in the mindset of the Australian Labor Party—an idea that worked extremely well for us when we were in government, and that was a campaign to stop the boats.

See this speech in context