Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

He is not only running scared; as the shadow Treasurer says, he's running away. That is despicable. That is a disgrace because the No. 1 responsibility of any prime minister is to keep the Australian community safe.

What is even more deeply concerning about the revelations that we've seen today in the Daily Telegraph is the fact that we know that a large number of those people who came from the Gaza war zone on tourist visas have now claimed asylum. So, my view—and it's one that wasn't repudiated by the immigration minister, and of course we didn't even hear from the Prime Minister—is that they are deeply concerned that this individual, or other individuals potentially linked to Hamas, have claimed protection. How much more can you botch immigration and national security in this nation? We've got a new minister, but it's the same old story: immigration is a complete and utter mess under this government.

An opposition member: Surely not!

Yes, you would think, 'Surely not!' You would think, surely the government is putting in place measures to stop this happening. But I don't know whether we remember—because with everything they've botched, so much has happened that it's hard to keep up with it—how we rushed into this place because there was legislation that was going to help address NZYQ and the cascading effects. It was important legislation—legislation that required passage that day. That went to the Senate. What do you think has happened to it? Has it seen the light of day since? No, it hasn't. It has been pulled. It's sitting somewhere up there in the Senate—this great urgency, and we cannot see the government even now putting it on the Notice Paper. Such was the urgency that was required for that piece of legislation. It is a farce. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Then, of course—and I'm going to run out of time, and it's such a shame, because the list is so long—there is what is happening with the issuing of visas. Net overseas migration has gone to over a million in two years under this government—in a housing and rental crisis. And the issuing of visas continues apace. There is no way known that this government is going to be able to meet any of its net overseas migration targets. As a matter of fact, the Treasurer on a Friday afternoon quietly admitted that he wasn't going to be able to do it.

Everywhere you look, when it comes to this government, national security and immigration is a complete and utter mess. Not only that but, as we have seen in this place today, you are putting the security of the Australian people at risk because you have botched it so badly.

See this speech in context