Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the repatriation of illegal maritime arrivals? What factors have led to this success under Operation Sovereign Borders and how does the government's policy impact on the budget?

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

I thank the member for Wannon for his question. I can update the House that since we last met—surprise, there have been no further arrivals to Australia illegally by boat over that period, which means this week we are now approaching six months without any successful people-smuggling ventures—almost six months.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many months since you voted with the Greens?

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

The member for Corio!

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many months since you voted with the Greens?

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

The member for Corio is warned!

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

That contrasts with the same period of time under the previous government, when 12½ thousand people turned up illegally by boat to this country. That does not surprise me, because at the election, in the forward estimates, they forecast 15,600 people to turn up over this term of parliament. That is how many they were forecasting. That is over 600 boats. They went to the last election promising 600 additional boats.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many over there voted with the Greens?

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

The member for Corio has been warned. One more utterance and he will leave.

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

No wonder the people of Australia threw them out. I can also inform the House that not only have Operation Sovereign Borders policies been effective in respect of stopping vessels coming to Australia, but in addition we have had people deciding to go back. We have passed a critical threshold, where more people now under this government, since the commencement of Operation Sovereign Borders, have actually gone back than have come into Australia. More have gone back than have come into Australia under the policies of this government. There have been 1,111 arrivals that occurred in the first couple of months, but there have been 1,162 departures, be it voluntary or involuntary. That compares to over 50,000 people who turned up over the six years of the previous government and 1,600 or thereabouts departures.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many over there voted with the Greens?

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

The member for Corio will remove himself for one hour under 94(a).

The member for Corio then left the chamber.

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

I can understand that the member is sensitive. He is very sensitive to this government's record, because he should know—even though he is in denial—that the reason these results are being achieved is that the policies they said would never work are working. The policies they said would never work—whether it was turn-backs or temporary protection visas or any of these policies—are working. As a result, people are deciding not to come, and people who have come are deciding to go home under these policies. Interestingly, for those on bridging visas in the community since September last year 392 people have decided to go home. That compares to just 117 who had been on bridging visas for two years and decided to go home. What it says is that, when we came to government we said there would be no permanent visas for those waiting in the community for a visa. As a result, 392 already have decided to go home. That is more than three times what was occurring under the previous government. And they continue to oppose temporary protection visas.