Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

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I move:

That the Senate take note of answers given by Senator Lundy to questions asked by Senator Cash.

We get to another day where those opposite would have some sort of celebration. The number is a big number—25,000. Sadly, that is not the number of doctors we have produced in Australia; sadly, that is not the number of new manufacturers that have opened around Australia; it is not the number of people who have done something particularly wonderful in our defence forces or industry more generally. The 25,000, which is a particularly excruciating number for those opposite, we are celebrating today is the number of people—25,000 souls—who have arrived unlawfully on this country's shore since they have come into power. Every person is another failed policy. You have 25,000 of them. Those opposite seem to be living in deep denial. The house is on fire and there is a bit of smoke, but those opposite are looking around, saying, 'No, no—it's all okay. Next financial year we are still budgeting for no arrivals.' Great! Then of course there are flames as the house starts to fill up with smoke. 'No, no, there is no fire. It's quite okay.' So you wonder why, after making a prediction in the budget this year that there would be only 5,400 places required, in the first quarter 5,100 have already arrived. No wonder you scream out of the building with your pants on fire! You have not got an iota of a clue on how to manage any sort of policy, let alone a policy that is as sophisticated as this one requires. It is a wreck, your border protection failure, and those on the other side should be deeply ashamed.

Eventually they adopted reasonable policy, and we have all tried very hard to get there. Because they are in denial—it is like the three-legged stool where each of the legs of the stool is a part of a policy framework. They've said: 'Nauru—we'll have a one-legged stool. Don't worry about the others. It'll be right; it won't be wobbly; it won't fall over.' So why is it that we keep hearing from those on the other side that it is all okay, that everything is fine, no-one is arriving, there are no boats, everything is fantastic? It is because they are in complete denial. That is what happens when you take your hands off the wheel. That is one of the alternatives to being good at what you do; you just go into denial and pretend that you are good at what you do. Sadly, that has become the mantra across the policy spectrum for those on the other side.

There are more important legs to the stool. The most important leg that you have missed out on is turning the boats around where it is safe to do so.