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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Climate Change and Water (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked today.

For the second day in a row, we have seen a level of disinterest by the government in probably one of our most important public policy areas—that is, border protection. This government is clearly disinterested and, may I say, soft on border protection. Yesterday we saw the minister calling for a report, some four days after the vessel was sighted and apprehended last Thursday. Today, the minister representing the minister for customs disclosed absolutely no knowledge or understanding of or ability to come to terms with any of the issues associated with border protection, given that we are saying to the Navy, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, you can have two months off over Christmas.’

Since August, there have been seven incidents. On 7 October, a group of people was arrested and taken into detention at an oil and gas platform. This is highlighting a massive shortfall and a lack of capacity and capability—