Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Personnel. Will the minister update the House on the role played by the Australian Defence Force in our strong, consistent approach to border security? What impact have previous approaches to border security had on the men and women of the Australian Defence Force?

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Canning for his question and acknowledge his work in representing the veterans in Western Australia. He certainly understands their issues and is in this place a very strong champion of their issues.

Operation Resolute is the ADF's contribution to Australia's civil maritime security in support of Operation Sovereign Borders. Around 350 ADF personnel support Operation Resolute. This figure may vary from time to time, depending on the number of assets that are deployed at any given time. Since 1999, a total of 26,000 of Australia's ADF personnel have deployed on border protection operations. What concerns me is that Labor's policies when they were in government effectively sent a green light to the people smugglers and had a real impact on the men and women of the ADF. Under Labor, the operational tempo was extreme, placing our personnel in danger and exposing them to horrific scenes.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite may complain, but this is a matter of fact. This was the unseen cost of the border protection policy failure under Labor. Remember, as we've heard again today, that over 50,000 people arrived in over 800 boats and, tragically, there were 1,200 deaths at sea that we know of. As a local member and also as a minister I have the rare privilege of spending time with our personnel, both in training and while on deployments. But, sadly, I also have to sit with serving members and veterans who have been traumatised by their experiences, including personnel who were exposed to the traumas of boarding unseaworthy vessels, recovering drowned men, women and children. We know that Navy personnel had to recover bodies, many of which had been in the water for days and were decomposing. Navy personnel talked to me of the sensory overload—the smell of diesel fuel, vomit and rotting wood; children screaming; and adults crying. I know this is confronting and sickening, but it's true. This is not about politics. There is nothing humane about policies that lead to people drowning at sea.

Dr Mike Kelly interjecting—

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

The member for Eden-Monaro has already been warned twice.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is nothing humane about sending our ADF personnel to pick up the pieces. There is nothing humane about subjecting them and their families to the nightmares that have followed. The emotional and the physical impact of exposure to these experiences can have and has had long-term consequences for some veterans and their families. I simply take this opportunity to thank them for their service and to thank them for keeping us safe and protecting our borders. Our Defence Force members and their families will carry an enormous burden if the people smugglers get back into business. I take this opportunity to advise both our current and former serving members and their families that the Open Arms counselling service is available for free support 24 hours a day seven days a week on 1800011046.