Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister advise the House of the work being done to make our community safer by strengthening visa cancellation provisions for noncitizens and is there an alternative approach?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. She is very keen to make sure that her local community is a safer place for families to grow up in and for people to retire to and to enjoy their retirement without being harassed by criminals. We have presided over an arrangement where noncitizens in this country have had their visas cancelled at an increasing rate if they have been involved in crime. We do not apologise or step back from that for one moment. In fact, I have been very consistent in saying that this government is determined to not only secure our borders but to also make sure that we can make our communities a safer place.

We have cancelled now over 1,000 visas of noncitizens who have been involved in all sorts of crime, including: sexual assaults, armed robbery, assaults against people in their homes and burglaries. There are a whole of range of crimes, as you would expect. In addition to that, we have cancelled the visas now of 84 organised crime figures, people who are involved in bikie gangs.

I am asked about alternative policies. I informed the House earlier in the week, that whilst we have presided over children coming out of detention, whilst we have stopped boats at sea, whilst we have emptied detention centres, whilst we have stared down the people smugglers—I will just get a glass of water for my throat. I was interjecting a little too much earlier on; I am paying for my earlier sins. I am sorry, Mr Speaker.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

I am going to come to you next, sunshine, don't worry. Do you know where we are headed? We are talking about your time when you were the immigration minister and you were a complete failure—as you were when you were Treasurer and as you are now as shadow Treasurer trying to implement this crazy policy of negative gearing and of driving down house prices and of driving up rents.

Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The minister ought to address his remarks through the chair.

Mr Pasin interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Barker will cease interjecting, as will others around him. The member for Griffith will not make frivolous points of order.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a killer blow, Mr Speaker. Not only did the member for McMahon preside over the worst period in immigration history in this country—where people drowned at sea and thousands of kids went into detention—let us go to what he did next: he also opposed our moves to tighten the visa character test, which we have now presided over and which saw people kicked out of this country. When he was the minister, he opposed moves by the Liberal Party. He opposed those moves. We sought to strengthen it. He opposed it. We have kicked out bikies. He supported bikies. We kicked out—

Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the standing orders are not complex. He should address—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gellibrand will resume his seat and is warned.

Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hindmarsh will resume his seat. The member for Gellibrand, if he wishes to raise a point of order, will state the point of order. A repetition of that will see him ejected from the House.

Mr Ewen Jones interjecting—

The member for Herbert is warned. The minister has nine seconds.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government has secured our borders. We have kicked out criminals at a record rate, and we were opposed at every move by those opposite. (Time expired)