Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always very difficult when we have situations such as this, where we have these men attempting to get through to Christmas Island. I am sure that many Australians feel very concerned to know that somebody from another country is in such difficulty that they are trying to find a way forward. This happens not only in difficulty; sometimes it is just because they feel the need to change their geographic location. There are many reasons why this nation has to deal with people who are attempting to arrive illegally by boat.

I refer to one of the previous speakers. I think it was quite right for Senator Mason to outline the government approach to these issues, because it is very important that we take into account and understand why the government approaches these situations as it does. In spite of the fact that Senator Ludwig was at pains to point out that Senator Mason had not directly addressed the question, I think we must look at the overall parameters and the overall environment through which the government approaches these situations.

Those 85 men on board that ship need to be dealt with in the manner that this country sees fit so we ensure the integrity of our borders. I do not think there is anyone around this country who would not want us to find the right balance between doing the right thing by those people on that boat and doing the right thing by the people of this nation. There is an expectation of this government to protect this nation, to ensure this nation is safe and secure and to ensure the integrity of our borders. It is important that we do that. That is our role. As a government, it is our role to ensure the integrity of our borders.

I think it was quite right of Senator Mason to point out the number of arrivals prior to 2001. Not only do I think it was right; it is important to look at that again: almost 10,000 people came to this country by boat in that three-year period from 1999 to 2001, and after the government’s offshore processing laws were in place, as Senator Mason said, that number dropped to zero. That absolute fact supports that what the government are doing is right. We have a humanitarian basis on which to deal with those people who try to get to this country by boat—that they will not be at the mercy of people smugglers. It was the right thing to do. It was the right decision to take. It has given us the right environment in this country to ensure we have that right balance between looking after people who are in genuine need—and this government will never back away from that; we will always assume the responsibility of looking after people in genuine need, and it is very important that we do that—and, by the same token, ensuring the integrity of our borders.

If we look at Labor and what they plan to do, we find their message to the rest of the world would be that Australia’s borders are open, and that we will go back to those days of having 3,792 people in one year, 2,939 the next and 3,751 the next. I do not want to go back to that and I do not think that the majority of Australians do either. We have got it right. We have got the right policies in place, and we can see that we have because they work. While we all feel for those people who believe they need to leave another country for whatever reason—and, as I say, this government will always look after those genuinely in need—this government has a responsibility to the people of this nation to make sure we do not place them at risk. We have to make sure there is a process in place, the right process, to ensure that the people in genuine need are looked after and those who are not have an alternative.

What would we be saying to people smugglers if we went back to the days before 2001 when we did not have the current arrangements in place? We would be saying: ‘It’s open slather. Come on in. Let’s have everybody back. Let’s have thousands of people coming through the doors because that’s okay.’ That is what Labor want to do. They want to open up our borders again. They are not concerned about the integrity we have in place now. That is what we would go back to. I do not believe that is the right thing to do. I do not believe the majority of Australians think that is the right thing to do. We have got the right process in place and we have to ensure that genuine refugees will be looked after.

For these 85 men who have, through whatever circumstances, taken the decision to try and arrive by boat, a range of options will be looked at. While we are hearing from the other side, ‘We want to know now,’ this happened a few days ago and the government are right to take the time to look at the range of options for these people. We would be irresponsible if we did not do that. We are not standing up here in this place saying to Labor: ‘Yes, of course we will answer your questions straightaway. Absolutely. Here’s all the information. This is what we’re doing.’ That would be irresponsible. The responsible thing for this government to do is to ensure that we look at all the options and that we get the right outcome. It is about a balance, as I said earlier. It is about helping those genuinely in need. We will never back away from that. That is what our policy entails and that is what it takes into account. But it also has to be balanced against what is the best thing for this nation. What is in the national interest? What is the right thing to do? The government will consider the range of options that we need to look at. We will do that thoroughly and exhaustively. We will not be pushed by the other side to run to their agenda and their timetable. We will do the right thing by these men to ensure that they get the best possible outcome.