Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Can the minister explain the impacts on communities like mine in Western Sydney of the previous government's decision to abolish offshore processing for people who arrived illegally by boat in 2008? How has the government acted to restore the effectiveness of offshore processing?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I asked for silence. Those on my left, we would like to hear the answer.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for her question.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then be quiet!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the previous member for Lindsay had a very keen interest in the issue of border protection. Those who were here at the time remember good old 'Commander' Bradbury, who accompanied the then Prime Minister all the way to Darwin. That is a long way from Penrith. He was not looking for the Nepean Belle, I am sure.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton will desist!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remember that the previous member for Lindsay had to endure day after day, week after week and year after year questions and other things being raised with him by his own constituents because of the failures of the previous government.

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist!

Mr Albanese interjecting—

So will the member for Grayndler!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the heart of the previous government's failures was their decision, as the member for Lindsay has reminded the House, to abolish offshore processing. They also abolished temporary protection visas. Even to this day those on that side of the House remain divided about temporary protection visas being restored. It is no surprise that we have had to restore offshore processing in the way it was designed, because those opposite never, ever believed in it. The Leader of the Opposition in particular I note described offshore processing in these terms:

Howard's Pacific Solution is taking Australia down a sterile, dirty and nasty path.

That is what the Leader of the Opposition actually thinks about offshore processing. He said on another occasion:

Howard's—

not Mr Howard—

actions undermine humanitarian values, and stir division within the Australian community.

What I notice is that the only division that is stirred on the issue of offshore processing and temporary protection visas is on that side of the House, because they have always been divided on the issue of offshore processing—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield will be quiet!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and that is why they could never implement it properly. They could never implement it properly, because they did not believe in it. So since the government were elected we have had to go about the process of putting it back in place in the way it was designed.

Under the previous government, when they were dragged kicking and screaming to reintroduce offshore processing, one in 20 people who arrived illegally by boat were sent to Nauru and Manus Island. At the eleventh hour, when they confected a press conference—it was not implementation of a policy; it was just a press conference—we inherited a policy that was unfunded, was under capacity and had been constantly undermined by the previous government in its implementation. That is why the Australian people threw them out—because they did not trust them to run offshore processing.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will desist!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They know that those on this side of the House believe in offshore processing and under the new government I am pleased to say that it is back in business the way it was designed.