Lucy Wicks (Robertson, 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 government's progress in restoring the full range of measures that are securing our borders and stopping the boats?

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

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. I know her constituents in Robertson have always had a keen interest in this topic. Last time I was there they were looking forward to ensuring that the measures that they had voted for would be implemented by this government, and that is what they have seen from this government—resolutely each day going about the job of doing what we said we would do, in the way we said we would do it and getting the results we said we would get.

It has been 65 days since the last venture came to Australia successfully—all 157 of those all went to Nauru. There has only been one venture this year, as those opposite will know. Operation Sovereign Borders has now been going for over a year, and in that time there has just been 23 ventures and 1,265 people. But 22 of those ventures—Have you have a question from me today? Have you?

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

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Corio on a point of order?

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

Point of order, Madam Speaker, on relevance. Did the minister just spend $40 million on five people?

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

The member will resume his seat!

Mr Marles interjecting—

The member will resume his seat! The member will remove himself under 94(a).

The member for Corio then left the chamber.

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

Given the noise levels that have been here in this question time on both sides of the House, is it right and proper that we have now had 200 people kicked out on this side of the chamber—200, now—in the time you have sat in that chair?

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

I would remind the Manager of Opposition Business, if you had 200 people, this place would be bursting at the seams and you would be in government. The minister has the call.

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

I note the shadow minister for immigration routinely does this so he does not actually have to ask me a question in this place. If he has got a question, he should come in here and ask it; otherwise, he can keep his peace.

These results did not happen by accident, because we have gone about putting in the measures we said we would. We have repaired offshore processing after the mess—and unfunded mess—they left us. We have put in place the regional deterrence framework, which we said we would—45 ventures disrupted, 12 turn-backs. These were 12 turn-backs that those on that side said it couldn't be done ever. Twelve turn-backs were done in the first year alone. Even though those opposite have sought to deny the government its mandate to restore temporary protection visas, we have not been providing permanent protection visas to people who came to this country illegally by boat. Last week we acted to put those temporary protection visas which deny a permanent protection visa in place and to strengthen our powers to conduct turn-backs, which has been the key ingredient to this government's success in stopping the boats.

I commend the Palmer United Party for supporting this sensible legislation. They have been relevant to this discussion, as opposed to the irrelevance of those opposite. Those opposite, despite acknowledging that 'turn-backs may have had an effect', to quote the shadow minister, still say that they will keep an open mind on the measure. The only thing that will be open that if Labor were to sit on this side would be the borders, because that is what happened when they were last here. They have a test: when this legislation comes into this House and when this legislation goes to the Senate, those opposite can decide whether they are for turn-backs or they are against turn-backs. The Australian people will be watching just to see where your spine is, because they have not been able to see it in a very, very long time.