Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I rise to speak on the matter of border protection, which I know is a very important issue in Western Australia, particularly these days. I will begin by quoting the former Prime Minister of this great country, John Howard, saying those immortal words from 2001, ‘We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.’ The latest example of boat people arriving in or attempting to come to this country was 800 kilometres north of Perth, where 12 people who appeared to be Sri Lankans landed on the shores of Australia. When I think back to those words of John Howard, I am beginning to wonder whether this country does actually control who makes it to our shores these days, because since August there have been seven attempts by boat people trying to make it to Australia.

Indonesia stopped nine Afghan boat people on the island of Flores. In September, our Navy stopped 14 in the vicinity of the Ashmore islands. On 7 October another boat, carrying 17, was intercepted by the Navy near an offshore oil production and storage facility in the Timor Sea. On Monday, 20 October, authorities in East Timor detained 16 Sri Lankans and four Indonesians trying to make their way illegally to Australia. On 11 November, Indonesian authorities found and detained 40 Iraqis, including nine children—which is the worst part of this—stranded on the remote island of Sumbawa in another attempt to make it to Australia. Finally, on 19 November, HMAS Ararat plucked 12 people from a sinking boat south-east of the Ashmore islands. Together with those who were found near Shark Bay last Thursday, this makes seven attempts to reach Australia. I think one of the important things that we need to consider when putting this into perspective is that that is the number that we know about. How many are not known? How many that we still do not know about made it to this country? How many actually sank—which was the worst part of all? Possibly, people have risked and lost their lives in pursuit of trying to come to this country.

So why has it happened? Why have there been seven cases since August? My view is that the messages and signals being sent by the Rudd government are unclear. We have had the closure of the offshore detention centres, the abolishment of the temporary protection visas, 200 fewer immigration officials and the perception that the Navy is in some way on lighter operations—and I make the point that that is a perception, but it is a perception that seems to be held in the region. The deputy chief of criminal investigations of the Indonesian National Police has been saying that people smugglers are charging around $18,000 for each passage, prompting people to transit through several countries on their way to Indonesia to try and hop on boats. Mr Steve Cook, chief of mission for the International Organisation for Migration—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He didn’t say this. Be careful. He did not say this.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is reported as saying that people smugglers are responding to the change in Australia’s immigration policy over the past 12 months with a significant increase in activity. What this is about is the safety of people and the integrity of the immigration system. It is not about any sort of race card such as others often say that we are talking about. What is required is that people know that this is a tough place to get to and that they will not be given any special treatment, and that way they will not risk their lives or the lives of their children. I think that it is important that we send very strong and clear messages, supported by very strong laws. Strong border protection remains in the best interests of this country and of those who are tempted to risk their lives.