Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Evans. That is quite right; I do not get enough questions on these issues. Anyway, as I was saying, the Australian Border Protection Command has some 17 patrol vessels and other assets to respond to threats to Australia’s border security, including illegal foreign fishing. These patrol assets, including the Oceanic Viking, are deployed according to risk. The Oceanic Viking is currently undertaking a task approved in the May 2009 budget to conduct maritime patrols of Australia’s northern waters, directed towards people-smuggling activities, and details of this are included in the May 2009 budget. In fact, I am somewhat surprised that Senator Colbeck, if he bothered to read those May budget papers cover to cover, is not aware of this. In fact, it seems to me that he is asking a question when he very well knows—