Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

The senator knows that this government regards Australia’s national security as being of the highest priority and will continue to ensure that we have a strong and effective border security strategy. The Prime Minister’s national security statement makes it very clear that we will continue to ensure a strong border protection strategy and an Australian Customs and Border Protection Service that will have the capability to task and analyse intelligence, coordinate surveillance and on-water response, and engage internationally with both source and transit countries to comprehensively address and deter people smuggling. So these are the measures the government is taking. There has been no diminution of operational capability, and I say again that this is a government committed to ensuring the security of Australia’s borders.