Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister outline to the House why the Morrison government's sound and consistent decision-making process is so important to keep Australians safe, and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Ryan for his question and thank him also for the great passion he's got for making sure that we can protect Australian children. The work that he's done in his electorate of Ryan really should be commended to the House.

Obviously the government have taken a very deliberate approach over a long period of time now to make sure that we can keep Australians safe. We've cancelled a record number of bikies, outlaw motorcycle gang members, who are the biggest—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are the defenders over there of bikies, who are involved with the CFMMEU. I understand the link, but, still—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a reflection on members. I ask that it be withdrawn.

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

Yes. I'll just say that is a reflection on members and the minister needs to withdraw.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

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

I just want the minister to resume his seat for a second now. I said earlier that imputations and reflections on members cannot occur and they need to be withdrawn. I'm now saying, given I've explained it as clearly as I possibly can, that I ask if anyone needs further explanation. If there are further reflections, I'll be taking more action than just the withdrawal. I'll regard it as deliberate defiance.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I should apologise to the CFMMEU as well, Mr Speaker, for any offence that I've caused them, of course! The reality is that we have cancelled record numbers of visas of criminals in our country who have committed offences against Australians. We've done that because we have the judgement to keep Australians safe. And, when you look at the decisions that have been made by those opposite over a long period of time by this Leader of the Opposition, he doesn't have good judgement—that is very clear. It's clear that he doesn't have good judgement. He's opposed for a long time the visa cancellation process that we have in place. He has opposed for the last three years the position that we took consistently to introduce minimum mandatory sentencing for sex offenders, and yet he folded this week at the 11th hour. And he's had shocking judgement when it comes to the important issue of keeping Australians safe by keeping our borders secure. The Leader of the Opposition has stood against Operation Sovereign Borders and the elements of that policy which have stopped people drowning at sea. He has no judgement at all. We've seen it play out this week as well in relation to the issues that are engulfing the Victorian division of the Labor Party. It continues on and on. His poor judgement is on display every day.

This government has made a decision now to cancel the visas of 249 offenders that have committed rape or sexual assaults, compared to 43 when Labor was in government. We have cancelled 510 visas for perpetrators of child sexual offences and those who have been found to have possessed child sexual exploitation materials. Compare that 510 to 97 during Labor's period in government. We will do whatever we can to keep Australians safe, but you need to make the right decisions. You need to have the good judgement to keep Australians safe, to keep our borders secure and to make sure that you can take care of Australian children. This man is not up to the task. (Time expired)