Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his previous answers. How can the Prime Minister claim today that he's cracking down on drug importers on a scale never seen before when an AFP leak says that, thanks to his $184 million cuts to the AFP, the Federal Police were unable to properly investigate the importation of 1.6 tonnes of cocaine and an additional 600 kilograms of cocaine imported from Mexico?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the minister has said and as I have said, the track record of the AFP in intercepting drug importation speaks for itself.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney is now warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The way in which the Labor Party want to challenge the competence, the efficiency of the AFP is disgraceful. The Labor Party have no basis for the claims they are making. We know that we have provided the Australian Federal Police with record levels of funding. We know that they are intercepting drugs on a scale unprecedented, but, of course, I note the challenge, the threat is also unprecedented.

And when we ask the Labor Party for some real support in this place on law enforcement, where do they stand? Where do Labor stand on punishing people who commit sexual offences against children? We've asked for mandatory sentences. Do you know why? We want to make sure they go to jail—that's why. We want to make sure they go to jail, whereas Labor won't support that. Perhaps they can explain why they won't support mandatory sentences for some of the most disgusting crimes in the criminal calendar.

Ms Rishworth interjecting—

What about guns? What about gun trafficking? What about gun runners and gun smugglers? We want there to be mandatory sentences for them too, because we want to make sure they go to jail. We want to make sure there is the strongest deterrent message and that they are punished. Where is Labor on that? It is nowhere to be seen. Why won't Labor support us in putting paedophiles and gun runners behind bars?