Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I love hearing about fairy floss being made at community festivals—not sure what it does for the nation's GDP—but I want to make sure that the following Monday they have a reasonable prospect if they are working age of showing up and holding down a job, because that is why they came to this country in the first place. On that note, there are people who won't be staying in Australia either. They are the people whose visas have been cancelled under section 501 of the Migration Act that the other side of politicians never bothered about, but the coalition government sent them home.

Mr Burke interjecting—

Small numbers and fine print, Member for Watson. We are talking about nearly 1,000 visa cancellations. We're talking about a New Zealand Prime Minister saying, 'What the hell is going on?' I tell you what: if you are here and engaged in crime, you are not going to be here for long. If you're in Queensland, that is where you will be found out, you will be outed and sent home.

Let me give you a few more specifics. Last financial year, there were 53 visas cancelled for drug offences. In Queensland, there were 22 visas cancelled for child sex offences; 10 for rape and sexual violence; five for murder; four for child pornography; and six for manslaughter. They are the highest figures of any state in Australia. Queensland is the great beneficiary of a little bit of courage in this area. Australians welcome those who come here for a meaningful chance of employment and to engage in the real economy. We do none of the families any favours by separating them from it by using the welfare system as a way to do it.