Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Again, this is an outrageous claim, a beat-up made to whip up fear. I think they can do better. I think they should be able to do better. This is a real public policy challenge which this government is working hard on meeting. I made it clear that exactly the same security, identity and health checks are conducted on Christmas Island as were conducted under the previous government. We seek the assurance of the relevant security agencies before decisions on visas are made. They use their best officers and their facilities to ensure that we protect the Australian community. Those checks are in place. They are rigorous, they are fulsome and they are the same security checks that were in place under the previous government. I urge the Liberal Party to think about where they are going with this. I know they are desperate and I know their polling is shocking, but they should just think about this. There is a need for public policy debate. They do not need to go down the low road. They can deal with this in a mature manner if they choose to. (Time expired)