Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a Prime Minister who has acknowledged in a speech to parliament that a government must be judged on its action, not its political rhetoric, and as a Prime Minister who told the people of Australia prior to the 2007 election that Labor’s stated objective in relation to border protection was essentially the same as the Howard government’s—that being to keep Australia’s maritime borders secure from unlawful arrivals—Kevin Rudd should stand condemned for his actions and the failure of the Labor government’s policies on border protection. The Rudd Labor government is nothing less than chronically negligent when it comes to managing Australia’s borders.

Fifty boats have now arrived since August 2008, when Mr Rudd and Labor decided to roll back the effective and strong border protection regime we had in place. Remember those fateful words of Julia Gillard when she was shadow immigration minister when she said, ‘Another boat, another policy failure.’ Well, haven’t those fateful words come back to bite Labor. If another boat equals a policy failure then what can you say when we are up to 50? And I bet if I were to give this speech tomorrow then I would be saying it was 51.

Based on the hysterical and hypocritical rhetoric Mr Rudd continues to spout, his claims to have a ‘tough but humane’ border protection policy are blown out of the water with the ongoing debacle with the Oceanic Viking. Instead of trying to find a solution to the problem that he has created, like Pontius Pilate he seeks to wash his hands of any blame and wash his hands of the problem. When it all became too hard for Mr Rudd, what did he do? He called the Indonesian President. He tried to make his policy failure Indonesia’s problem. And—surprise, surprise!—that did not work. Mr Rudd has now been snubbed by the Indonesian President, as reported on the front page of the West Australian today:

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Indonesian solution to the boat people surge is unravelling, with Jakarta making plain its opposition to becoming the dumping ground for Australia-bound asylum seekers.

Instead of doing what a true leader would do—instead of taking total responsibility for his own policy failure—what does Mr Rudd do? He offers a special deal, a ‘buy one, here you go, get one free’ deal: he gives them fast and expedited passage to Australia. Not only that—and the mums and dads of Australia are going to like this—they may also get access to public housing, special payments and jobs. What a kick in the teeth for the average Australian. That must be rolled gold for the people smugglers. You can only imagine what they are now saying: ‘When it all gets tough, you know that guy Kevin Rudd in Australia rolls over—he caves in and he offers up fast and expedited passage to Australia.’

How humiliating. How demeaning for Mr Rudd. This is the Prime Minister of Australia who prides himself on being the consummate diplomat, and what has he had to do? He has had to get down on his hands and knees and beg these people to get off the boat. That is an absolute disgrace and it is because of his total policy failure. And despite the fantastic deal that he has offered them, he has only managed to get 22 people off the Oceanic Viking. One can only imagine what type of deal he is now going to offer to get the rest of them off the boat—maybe a position in his cabinet? God knows they are running the country already.

The Labor government, by their policy decisions, have rolled out the welcome matt; they have rolled out the ‘Rudd carpet’ to the people smugglers. The people of Australia should be demanding to know from Rudd Labor why they support the people smugglers. Why does Mr Rudd introduce policies that support the people that he referred to as the vilest form of human life? Why does Mr Rudd implement policies that he knows will increase the despicable trade of people smuggling? Why doesn’t Mr Rudd stand up for legitimate refugees who are doing the right thing—the hundreds of thousands of legitimate refugees who are in refugee camps around the world and who have made proper, legal application? They are going through the proper process in order to seek lawful entry into Australia. Why doesn’t Rudd Labor stand up for these people?

I0M Cash, Sen Michaelia 40

The people-smuggling trade is a dangerous trade. We know that because Mr Rudd keeps telling us that, yet he continues to ignore the evidence. Already we have seen innocent lives lost because of the current people smuggling. We have now got a cyclone season that will soon be upon us. What is Mr Rudd going to do when further people lose their lives? We heard in question time today the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship using the increased number of refugees and displaced people globally as a justification for the increased number of asylum seekers trying to come here unlawfully. If Labor are aware of this, as the minister tells this place they are, why do they continue to implement policies that support the people smugglers? The reality for Rudd Labor is that as long as they continue with their current policies we will see a rise in the number of people trying to enter this country unlawfully.

It is not just the coalition who is telling Mr Rudd that his policies have made people smuggling more attractive. We also had the Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN, the Indonesian ambassador, the Federal Police and the International Organisation on Migration all saying that Kevin Rudd’s policies have increased the pull factors. Mr Rudd created the problem and he now needs to find the solution. Remember that this is the Prime Minister who, many years ago when commenting on Howard government policy, said that a government should be judged on:

… concrete measures taken … so that this nation is truly secure, not simply projected to be secure through the political rhetoric of … government.

Mr Rudd has failed Australia on border protection and as the Prime Minister of this country he stands condemned.