Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Braddon will resume his seat. It is in fairness the opposition's turn, however, if we do not have any more silence, he will not get the opportunity either. The member for Hunter has the call to ask a question.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am hopeful you will extend me an indulgence to join with the Minister for Agriculture, on behalf of the opposition, in extending best wishes to those farm families who are facing a very difficult time at the moment with the drought and, of course, who are facing a very, very difficult Christmas. It is a Christmas which will be made all the more difficult by the fact that there is not one additional new cent in that drought package, just a rehash—

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

The member will resume his seat. The member will leave under 94(a), and consider himself lucky not to be named. The member for Braddon has the call.

The member for Hunter then left the chamber.

Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the call. My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the government's efforts to resolve the legacy caseload of 30,000 people who arrived illegally by boat under the previous government?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Braddon for his question and for his keen interest in these issues. Over the course of this past year, in fact, since 9 December last year, there has not been a death at sea—not a single death at sea, this year, as a result of the strong border protection policies that have been put in place by this government. Critical to that achievement, this year, was the introduction of turn backs on 19 December last year. After the introduction of the PNG arrangement, which was supported by us when we were in opposition, there were 79 deaths that followed that announcement. Since the introduction of turn backs, on 19 December last year, there have not been any deaths.

The government are stopping the boats, which is something I know the member for Chisholm acknowledged earlier today. That was one of our core commitments going to the election. One of the other commitments was that we would resolve the legacy caseload of the 30,000 people Labor left behind on their watch and did not process. They just left 30,000 people behind, and 24,500 of them never even had their processing commenced under the previous government.

Mr Marles interjecting—

Are you going to ask me a question? If you are not, sit down.

Mr Marles interjecting—

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

Resume your seat. The minister has the call. The member for Corio will resume his seat. I refer you to page 189 of The Practice. Resume your seat. Go and read The Practice. Resume your seat. The minister has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The package of measures, which have been put to this parliament, which is opposed by Labor and the Greens, addresses this caseload while also strengthening our border protection regime. It denies the people smugglers' promise, which those opposite want to honour. It strengthens the turn back provisions under the Maritime Powers Act, the turn backs which those opposite want to turn back. It establishes a fair and efficient process for resolving the 30,000 cases that are languishing, and languished, on the watch of those opposite. It gives 25,000 people on bridging visas working rights while they wait for these claims to be processed.

The caseload of people who arrived after 19 July to the end of the year, which under the previous government's policy, and under our government's policy until now, would be going to Nauru and would be able to be brought onshore and processed onshore. This included 460 and more children which will be taken out of detention as a result of that decision. We will increase the refugee and humanitarian intake responsibly and sustainably, and fund it by a total of 7,500 places over the budget and forward estimates. That is something I know the member for Brisbane, the member for Deakin, the member for Reid and the member for Hindmarsh have been committed advocates for some time.

These commitments would not have been possible had this government not been so successful in stopping the boats. This is a package of measures that will clean up the mess that those opposite left behind, and it will continue to stop the deaths at sea, deaths that occurred at will under the previous government.