Rick Wilson (O'Connor, 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 the importance of a strong and united approach to combating the scourge of people smuggling? Is the minister aware of any other approaches which pose threats to Australia's border security?

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

I thank the honourable member very much for his question and recognise the work that he does, particularly in Western Australia. It's very important to Western Australia because Western Australians, like all Australians, recognise that we have a vulnerability with people coming from Indonesia at the hands of people smugglers. The reality is there are 14,000 people in Indonesia right now waiting to get onto boats. We know that the people smugglers are looking very carefully at this election. If I were a people smuggler in Indonesia, I'd be getting down to Sportsbet in Jakarta and putting as much money as I could on the Labor Party getting into government. I suspect that's what they're counting on, because, if Labor gets back into power, the boats restart. That is the bottom line. You're seeing images out of the United States at the moment, with kids in detention. You're seeing the tragedy of people drowning in the Mediterranean, with hundreds of thousands of people trying to move into Europe. Don't forget those are exactly the scenes that we saw on our television screens only a few years ago, and yet, for over 1,400 days, because of the policies of this government, we have not had a child drown at sea. Twelve hundred people drowned at sea under Labor, and the Labor Party wants to undo the policies that have resulted in the stopping of the boats.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

Mr Falinski interjecting —

We've heard from every Labor member about how they want to dismantle—

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

The member will just pause for a second. The member for Eden-Monaro and the member for Mackellar will continue their conversation outside the chamber. They will both leave under 94(a).

The member for Eden-Monaro and the member for Mackellar then left the chamber.

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

We have heard from every Labor member about their plan to undo the policies that we have if they get back into government. I noticed some comments from the Labor member for Braddon, Justine Keay, on turnbacks. It's interesting when you look at some of the comments that they've made. She is a very good supporter, she says, and she agrees with the position of Albo, the member for Grayndler.

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

That was a direct quote, Mr Speaker; my apologies.

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

That doesn't excuse it.

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

On turnbacks, Ms Keay says, 'I do not support it,' and she says—and this is a direct quote, Mr Speaker—'I'm with Albo on this.' Every person you look at on the front bench has been weak on border protection in opposition and in government. Those people that would sit around the National Security Committee, if you have a look at them one by one, they are as weak as water. It's 700 days. We've not even had a question from the shadow minister on boats. It's interesting. They sedate him when he comes in here. On the quarter hour, his head turns from 10 to two and turns back again on the next quarter hour. The fact is they don't want to talk about boats because they are completely disastrous when it comes to boat policy, and the Australian public should never, ever forget it. (Time expired)