Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the election, the Prime Minister promised the coalition's Operation Sovereign Borders would remain unchanged. Given there have been three illegal boat arrivals in the last week, has the Prime Minister lost control of our borders? How many people have drowned at sea since Labor took office? And how many women and children are in immigration detention under this government?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I can do no more than quote Rear Admiral Brett Sonter, who made it very clear in February when he said this:

The mission of Operation Sovereign Borders remains the same today as it was when it was established in 2013: protect Australia's borders, combat people smuggling in our region, and importantly, prevent people from risking their lives at sea.

He has gone on to make it very clear about funding, as has the ABF Commissioner, Michael Outram, and rebuking the opposition for some of their false claims. Commissioner Outram said:

Border Force funding is currently the highest it's been since its establishment in 2015 and in the last year the ABF has received additional funding totalling hundreds of millions of dollars, to support maritime and land based operations.