David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Can the minister assure the Senate that the reason last Thursday’s illegal boat eluded detection and made it as far south as Shark Bay had nothing to do with the fact that the government currently has a shortfall in aerial daytime surveillance hours? Can the minister explain why the government is leaving our maritime borders exposed by giving the Navy two months Christmas holidays at the very time there has been a surge in people smugglers bringing illegal immigrants to Australia?