Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister please update the House on the benefits of a strong and consistent approach to border protection policy? And is the minister aware of any risks that would weaken Australia's borders?

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

I thank the member for Petrie for his question. He's a tireless worker on the Redcliffe Peninsula in working with the police and all the agencies there to keep his local constituents safe, and he's a very strong supporter of border protection policies which have seen this government secure our borders and keep our community safer than it otherwise would have been.

The last time the Labor government changed the policies which have stopped the boats was back in 2007, under Kevin Rudd—when the Leader of the Opposition was a key member and a key confidante of then Prime Minister Rudd, it's easy to note, and I think important to note. When Mr Howard left office four people were, tragically, in detention. None of them were children. But the fact is that Labor dismantled the Howard government policies and 50,000 people came on 800 boats. We have got out of detention the 8,000 children whom Labor put into detention. We've closed the 17 detention centres that Labor opened. We've not had a death at sea, whereas Labor had 1,200 deaths at sea. So why would the Labor Party now be proposing to dismantle our policies which have secured our borders? This is an important question to ask, and it's clear that the members of the left wing of the Labor Party have completely monstered the Leader of the Opposition. The fact is that the Labor Party is in the process of dismantling their policy, which they have claimed up until this stage would be the same as our policy.

For example, Kristina Keneally wants to come into this place as one of the lead advocates to undo our border protection policies. She needs to be called out, because I believe that the people of Bennelong support the government's policies, which have secured our borders and stopped the deaths at sea, and I think they strongly support our policies. But have a look at what Kristina Keneally had to say in 2012, when 17,000 people arrived on boats. Kristina Keneally tweeted, 'Australia is big enough and generous enough for onshore processing and for increasing its intake of refugees.' She went on to say, 'But the number of boat arrivals in Australia actually just fluctuates with worldwide trends.' That is a dangerous point of view. It was dangerous in 2012 and it's dangerous now, because the people smugglers are biting at the bit to get back into business. Anyone who thinks people smugglers have gone away—that somehow the boats have stopped permanently—has no understanding of the basics of the threat we are facing. The reality is that Kristina Keneally was the choice of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi for premier in New South Wales. She's the opposition leader's pick for Bennelong. She's a great friend of Sam Dastyari, who shouldn't be in this parliament—

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

The minister will refer to members by their correct titles.

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

Senator—double agent Sam Dastyari—

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

No, the minister will withdraw.

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

I withdraw. I don't want to comment on his part-time occupation!

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

The minister's time has concluded.

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

He's got to withdraw unconditionally.

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

He withdrew. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, I'd only just been advised as to what was said. When a withdrawal is given, it can't be conditional and can't have additional words added to it.

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

It wasn't conditional. I was listening.

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

No, he said 'part-time occupation'.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He then referred to it as a part-time occupation. That cannot be considered a proper withdrawal.

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

I didn't hear that. I asked the minister to withdraw. This is what—

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

It might help if the foreign minister ceased interjecting. This is the problem when unparliamentary terms are used: the reaction makes what's said next difficult to hear. I asked for him to withdraw; he withdrew immediately. I say to the minister: withdrawals need to be unconditional. But I can't judge on what was said afterwards, I'm sorry, because I didn't hear, as a result of the interjections.