Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that budget cuts to the Customs and Border Protection Service for cargo screening have resulted in at least a 75 per cent reduction in air cargo inspections and at least a 25 per cent reduction in sea cargo inspections?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the member who asked the question may be aware, a risk management approach has been taken to inspections. I am happy to provide full details on that to the House and I will make sure I do so. On the question of collaboration between the federal government and state governments on the question of illegal firearms—

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not what I asked!

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I presume these questions are all connected—

Opposition members interjecting—

and I will still make the assumption, despite the catcalling, that there is a genuine interest in the question of illegal firearms in the community—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister was not asked about collaboration. The Prime Minister will answer this particularly tight question.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am simply seeking to draw the House's attention to collaborative work that has been done between the New South Wales police and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service with the assistance of the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police. As the minister has announced today, this work has made a difference to the number of firearms available on the—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her seat.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Will the Prime Minister concede that the 75 per cent reduction in air cargo inspections and the 25 per cent reduction in sea cargo inspections as a result of her budget cuts have undermined Australians' protection from the importation of illegal weapons?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I will do no such thing. We took that approach on the basis of proper advice. I ask the Leader of the Opposition: if he is going to get rid of 12,000 public servants, how many of them are coming from Customs? I ask the Leader of the Opposition, who is out there with his $70 billion black hole, saying that 12,000 public servants will go: how many of them are coming from Customs? If he is going to rule Customs out today, where are they coming from? The Leader of the Opposition cannot come into this parliament and play these cheap political stunts. He talks about 12,000 public servants—does that mean you are closing Customs? That would be a mere patch—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her seat. If the Leader of the Opposition is at the dispatch box seeking to ask a second supplementary question, that is not in order at this time.