Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Is the minister aware that Australian Navy intercepts vessels in the Gulf of Aden as part of Operation Slipper, combating pirates, drug traffickers and terrorists? Minister, why has the government sent 31 Navy warships since 1991 to the gulf to intercept vessels carrying arms and dangerous criminals but claims our Navy is not capable of intercepting and turning around fishing boats being used by people smugglers?

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Our Customs and Navy personnel that are on the vessels in our waters do intercept those vessels. The fact is that they intercept these vessels and they do a remarkable job. In so far as those that have arrived on the mainland, there were far more who were arriving on the mainland under the previous government. That means what has happened is that the capacity for them to interdict these vessels has been improved.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. I am failing, however, to see what point of order the Leader of the Opposition might be raising. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

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

Direct relevance: if the Navy can turn them around in the gulf, why can't they turn them around in the Arafura Sea?

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat! The minister has the call and is being relevant to the question.

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first thing to say is that they do intercept vessels, and that is in itself a very significant challenge, given the flow of vessels. We know that. I have referred to some of the really challenging circumstances that they have confronted, including having to rescue people in SOLAS situations and indeed having to deal with, as I have already referred to, that awful situation on 15 December 2010, where 50 people died when a vessel foundered on the rocks of Christmas Island. On that occasion our naval and Customs personnel went into RIBs and tenders and went to the rescue of those people.

The fact is, firstly, that the honourable member compares intercepting pirates on the high seas to returning or not returning people who are seeking asylum. I do not think intercepting pirates on the high seas is analogous. I refer the honourable member to the former admiral of the Navy—

Mr Morrison interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cook is warned!

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The former admiral of the Navy Chris Barrie, a naval officer who was directly involved in these operations, has made it very clear that without the cooperation of another country—that is, a return country on the high seas—it is extremely dangerous for men, women and children and it is extremely dangerous to our naval and Customs personnel to do that. People who have already placed themselves and their crews at risk, who have actually dealt with these operational situations, should be listened to. These are people with many years of naval experience. That is why we do listen to those officers.

Further to that, as the Deputy Prime Minister has already said in question time, we have a situation where the Vice President of Indonesia and the Indonesian ambassador have made clear that what the Leader of the Opposition would like to put in place is not going to work, is not going to happen. And insofar as our own personnel are concerned, it is unsafe. For those reasons I would disagree with you in making the comparison with pirates on the high seas.