Damian Drum (Murray, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the importance of a strong, consistent and united approach to border protection? Is the minister aware of any risks to what the government has achieved?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. Everybody on this side of parliament was absolutely determined to make sure that we stopped boats, got the children out of detention and closed the 17 detention centres because we didn't want to see—

Ms Chesters interjecting—

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

The member for Bendigo has been warned. She will leave under 94(a).

The member for Bendigo then left the chamber.

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

the dysfunction that existed under the Labor Party. We didn't want to see men, women and children drowning at sea. We didn't want to see those kids in detention. We have made decisions, which have resulted in securing our borders. So it is quite amazing that many members opposite are running around at the moment trying to work out ways in which they could dismantle the policy of this government which has stopped the drownings at sea, has stopped the children going into detention and has stopped new boat arrivals.

It's interesting to note that, on the weekend, there was a conference in Victorian with the ALP putting forward a motion to try to stop Operation Sovereign Borders and unwind the policies that we had presided over. You would have thought that there would be a debate and that those on the left would have been allowed to put their opinions as to why they wanted to trash the successful policy of stopping the boats, but the difficulty is that the Leader of the Opposition didn't want that debate to take place. So what did he do? He called on his old mates from the CFMMEU. Normally the CFMMEU close down building sites, but instead they closed down this debate. So you can imagine that, in the theatre where this debate is about to take place, the next thing is that people hear the hum of motorcycles downstairs, they hear the clanging of the chains and they hear the knocking of the knuckledusters as people are marching up to the auditorium. The CFMMEU burst through the doors and they close the debate down, because they provide their numbers once again to the Leader of the Opposition. What did he have to do to get that deal? What did he have to promise the CFMMEU? We will never know unless he is elected as the next Prime Minister. This Leader of the Opposition has more shady figures in his background and in his present than any former Leader of the Labor Party. The fact is that nobody can trust a word that this man utters. He has been involved in ripping off workers. It's documented well and truly.

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

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

Mr Speaker, there was a clear reflection on a member, and it should be withdrawn.

Government members interjecting—

That should be withdrawn as well.

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

I didn't hear that, but interjecting while I'm hearing a point of order is particularly disorderly. I was listening carefully. I heard the minister use a phrase that has been used many times without a point of order before. I don't want to repeat the phrase, but I just make that point.

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

Perhaps it's best summed up by somebody you don't hear from often in this place. That's the member for Scullin. He's sitting over there in isolation. He's in witness protection, but he said to The Guardian that it was 'beyond disappointing'. A Labor MP said:

… clearly the industrial left and CFMEU in particular are very focused on supporting Bill Shorten …