Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the Minister for Home Affairs if he would update the House on the importance of strong border protection measures for Australia. And, secondly, is he aware of any alternative plans 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 honourable member for his question. It is the case that this government have worked day and night to keep our borders secure. We've sought to clean up Labor's mess, and we really regret the fact that Labor is still proposing a policy which would allow the boats to recommence, allow the deaths at sea, sadly, to recommence and allow detention centres—we've closed 17 of them—to reopen.

I want to mention a name that my colleagues won't be familiar with. It's the member for Blair. You may not have heard of him. You've certainly not heard from him, but he has been the shadow immigration minister now for 750 days.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right!

Mr Littleproud interjecting—

The minister for agriculture!

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

He's been the shadow minister for immigration for 120 question times. He's not asked one question on boats; nonetheless, I've got a bit of a soft spot for the member for Blair. I've got to say, I've just been advised that, after all this period of time, the member for Blair has asked for his first briefing on Operation Sovereign Borders from my department. I feel almost like a proud father. You know when your child takes a first step, or a milestone? He's not yet speaking; he's a little slow at speaking, but he has taken one baby step. It's too little too late, I fear, because he's out there, he's already announced the policy, not having been properly briefed, he's provided advice about how they'll change the policy, how they'll water down our policy and how they'll allow the boats to get back into business—and now he asks for a briefing on how we've stopped the boats!

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

Member for Sydney!

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

Wouldn't it have been a better move to ask for the briefing first?

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney is warned.

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

Wouldn't it be better to ask the government: how did you clean up Labor's mess? 'When we were in government, 50,000 people arrived on 800 boats,' he would say. 'How did you stop them? How did the Liberal government stop the boats?' How did we get kids out of detention? How did we close 17 detention centres that Labor opened? Why is it that I've not had a death at sea on my watch, and yet under Labor 1,200 people tragically drowned? Wouldn't these have been logical questions for the shadow minister for immigration to ask? You can only imagine what the first 750 days of a Labor government would bring. You can imagine what the first 750 hours would bring—boats, boats, boats.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.