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

I think that Senator Brandis confirms the sensitivity. There is a selective nature to their criticism here. They do not want to talk about the 86 boats that arrived under them in 1999—that Senator Scullion was ushering into Darwin Harbour. They were not landing at Christmas Island; they were coming into Darwin Harbour. Senator Scullion was earning a nice little earner bringing them in, and good luck to him! I understand he did a very good job.

We have had in this country three or four periods of increased boat arrivals over the years. In 26 out of the last 33 years we have had arrivals, but we have had peaks and troughs. Senator, you may want to forget about 1999 to 2001—86 boats in 1999 and 43 boats and 5,516 people in 2001, during the last peak in activity. We have dealt with this problem for 26 out of last 33 years. We will continue to have to deal with it. It presents a challenge in public policy terms. But the difference is we are not going to lock children up behind barbed wire. We are not going to send them off to a Pacific island and lock them up for years as you did. Kids were in detention centres behind barbed wire for more than two years. There is a difference between us and I am proud to say there is a difference, but we both have had to deal with peaks in arrivals and we will continue to have to do so.