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

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. I refer the minister to the Australian Customs vessel currently carrying 153 asylum seekers and the answer that he gave yesterday about that vessel, in which he spoke of the men and women who serve as part of the Australian Navy under Border Protection Command. Can the minister please inform the House what role the Australian Navy are playing in relation to this Australian Customs vessel?

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

It is a big week for the member for Corio: two questions in two days. It took him 200 days to get here, but I welcome him back to the parliament. It is nice to see you here.

On this matter, as the member opposite would know, the Australian Navy, with the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, forms part of Border Protection Command. The comments I made yesterday were of a general nature and relating to the performance of those men and women who serve in the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Royal Australian Navy. Members opposite should be aware of those things. I am not surprised that the member for Corio needs to come up to speed on this.

I can assure the member of this: any person who is in the care and protection of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service will be in good care, and they are in good care, because I have great faith in the men and women of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service as I have great faith in the men and women of the Australian Navy—

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

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order.

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

I am answering your question.

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

The point of order is relevance. The question is: what role are the Navy playing in relation to this—

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

The member will resume his seat. I have reminded members before that it is not acceptable, when raising the question of relevance, to simply repeat the question. I call the honourable the minister.

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

I again refer the member to my earlier comments on this matter. In this very answer I have outlined the role of the Australian Navy and Customs and Border Protection Service and how they are involved in Border Protection Command. I have no intention in this place of going beyond the statements that have been made to the court—and these matters are before the court. I will not be doing that. I am surprised that those opposite would be puzzled or would need affirmation that any person who was in the care of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service would not be well dealt with.

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

No, I am not surprised, because in the other place one of the Labor senators, Senator Conroy, felt fit to attack Lieutenant General Angus Campbell. They felt fit to try and give oxygen to the most outrageous claims I can recall that were levelled against the Australian Navy in the burnt hands fiasco, which they were embarrassed to have to walk away from as they stood aside those allegations. Here is last year's failure!

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. I refer to page 516 of House of Representatives Practice and the specific objection for putting words in someone else's mouth. The minister has made an allegation about the question that bears no relation to the question that was asked.

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

There is no point of order.

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

I am not surprised the Manager of Opposition Business would be sensitively coming to the despatch box. I remind the House that last July, when he was minister, 4,338 people turned up on 48 illegal boats on his watch. It was the worst record of any immigration minister on our borders in our history. That is your record. The record of the member for McMahon, who sits opposite, is almost 25,000 arrivals on his watch. What a failure! What a hopeless failure! Here he comes again, last year's failure.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my left so I can hear what the Manager of Opposition Business has to say.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. There are many questions with preambles, tags and politics attached. This was very specific.

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

You have already raised the question of relevance once and you know that it can only be raised once per question. The minister has the call.

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

The record of those opposite, when it comes to border protection, shows they are a field of dandelions—

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

so easily blown away by the slightest breeze. They are a swarm of jellyfish. You would not be able to find a backbone amongst any of them, whether it is the member for McMahon, the member for Watson, the member for Gorton or the member for Corio. What a bunch of jellyfish you are!