Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister update the House on why strong borders are a necessary part of our national security framework? Is the minister aware of any risks to 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 very much for his question. I was up on the Sunshine Coast with him just before Christmas at a round table with the local police looking at issues that would make the local community there safer. I commend him for all the work that he does in his local community. This government is very proud of the fact that we've been able to stop the drownings at sea. We've not had a drowning at sea now for over three years, coming up to four years. We've been able to close 17 detention centres. We've been able to get every child out of detention that Labor put into detention. We've been able to stare down the people smugglers.

We don't take that for granted because we know that the people smugglers have not gone away. They are still there in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and elsewhere preparing to put people onto boats this very moment. The Leader of the Opposition scoffs at that because he doesn't believe that there is a threat and he can't hold a consistent policy when it comes to border protection. All Australians know that, if you can't secure your borders, you can't provide for a safe and secure community.

The Leader of the Opposition is seen as shifty and dodgy by the Australian people, because he is. He promised one thing to one audience and something to the next audience. He will tell whatever group of people he's in front of what they want to hear. The problem is—this great dilemma that the Leader of the Opposition has at the moment with the by-election in Batman and the prospect of one in Longman—that he would have to tell the people of Batman, a trendy left-leaning seat, that he is going to walk away from this government's tough border protection policies. The trouble is when he gets off the plane in Queensland and goes up to Longman and is in Caboolture. I notice that the member for Longman is busily involving herself in conversation next to her about some made-up topic. The problem is that the people in Longman strongly support strong borders. The real dilemma for the Leader of the Opposition is that he would be caught out telling one thing to people in Melbourne and something different to people in Brisbane.

But this would come as no surprise to the Australian public. The Australian public have this bloke pegged. I'll tell you who else does—the member for Grayndler. He is getting ready to go. This bloke is biting at the bit because he knows that this Leader of the Opposition is propped up by the union bosses—and I acknowledge the CFMEU workers up in the gallery today, the true champions; there you go, mate, throw your arm up—out on building sites breaking arms and carrying on. They give millions of dollars to the Labor Party and they own and control this bloke 100 per cent. (Time expired)

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides will cease interjecting. The member for McEwen is warned for earlier interjections in the answer. I caution the minister about discussing matters with the public galleries.