Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the government's actions to protect the Australian community from dangerous visa holders? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I thank the honourable member for Moore for his question. I thank him for all the work he does in keeping his community safe.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The minister will just pause for a second. The member for Whitlam and the Minister for Justice will cease interjecting, as will the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, or the three of them will be out. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has the call.

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

As I have reported to the House before, a key priority of the Turnbull government is to keep Australians safe. We are doing that by securing our borders, which is what the Australian public want. And we are making sure that we cancel the visas of criminals who are here on a temporary basis as the holders of visas. Where they commit a crime against an Australian citizen, we cancel the visa, and we've done it now on 3,000 occasions, which is up some 1,200 per cent. I am pleased to report we have now cancelled the visas of 154 outlaw motorcycle gang members.

The reason that this is important is that the outlaw motorcycle gang members are the biggest importers and distributors of amphetamine and ice in this country. This government has cancelled the visas of 154 bikies. From the Labor Party's six years in government there is no evidence they cancelled the visa of any bikie. Indeed, it looks like they issued visas to bikies.

It's also important to understand that the bikies have infiltrated the CFMEU. The bikies in this country are involved not in legitimate trade, business or employment but in the distribution of drugs, in extortion and as hired muscle on building sites to work for the CFMEU. We've seen some activity in Queensland involving a particularly militant aspect of the CFMEU as described by the Leader of the House in his earlier answer. Some of the conduct of these individuals at Oaky North has been disgraceful.

An opposition member interjecting—

'Legendary' I hear from someone opposite. That is an absolute outrage. I point to one individual: a Mr Brodsky, who is running at the moment for the position of national general secretary of the CFMEU. I understand he is personally known to the Leader of the Opposition. He is a person of deplorable character. He is involved and mixed up with outlaw motorcycle gang members, with contacts from the CFMEU into outlaw motorcycle gangs, is very well known to law enforcement agencies in this country, and has not been chastised by the Leader of the Opposition for this conduct up at Oaky North. He's been visited by the Leader of the Opposition, patted on the shoulder by the Leader of the Opposition and given this rail's run, it seems, to become the National Secretary of the CFMEU with all of the links to outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised criminal activity in this country.

It is no wonder that the Australian public have a question mark over the character of this Leader of the Opposition, just like former Prime Minister Rudd does. I can say one thing to the Australian people: they cannot trust this bloke. (Time expired)