Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today we learn of more mistakes in the Labor's medivac amendments. This is exactly what happens when the Labor Party puts politics ahead of national security and border protection. This is an important issue for me. I've visited Christmas Island and I've stood at the site where many lives have been lost, crashed upon the most unimaginable volcanic, sharp rocks—which, quite frankly, are indescribable. I've also met with a survivor of this terrible incident. We should never forget the humanitarian crisis that confronted this country when 1,200 people died at sea, when 50,000 arrivals came on 800 illegal boats—costing $16 billion. Over the past five years, the federal government has secured Australia's borders. We've fixed Labor's mess—stopping the boats, closing 19 detention centres and removing all children from detention.

The advice from our intelligence agencies is clear. Any weakening of our border protection policies will re-open the people-smuggler trade. The facts are undeniable. The Labor Party start the boats and the Liberal Party stop them. Labor put men, women and children into detention centres, and the Liberals work hard and process them out. Labor weaken our borders; the Liberals will always keep them secure.