Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the fact that the government's budget in the immigration portfolio for 2012-13 is based on 450 unlawful entrant arrivals per month. I also refer the minister to the fact that in the first five months of this financial year more than 10,000 unlawful entrants have arrived in Australia, more than four times the government's monthly estimates. Given that each new boat costs the Australian taxpayer approximately $12 million, how much more money will the government be required to be appropriate to compensate for the increased arrivals for this financial year?