Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have just been sitting back, flabbergasted, by what I have just heard from Senator Singh, because, in essence, what she has been saying for five minutes is that the current government's border protection policies are good, that they work and that she supports them. I am astonished that someone—anyone, actually—on that side of the chamber could get up and, hand on heart, defend the chaotic and irresponsible approach on border protection that prevails in this country.

I will just pick up on a couple of comments that Senator Polley made. I actually have a lot of personal regard for Senator Polley, but it does concern me that, when those opposite are asked about this issue, their response is such a defensive and reactive one. They direct their criticism at us, and all they can talk about is negative politics and scare tactics. The facts of the matter are quite simple, and that is that the failure of the border protection policies of this government is a national disgrace. Every one of you on that side of the chamber should bow your heads in shame at what is facing this country. It is a national disgrace.

It does not matter, as Senator Cash has already raised today, who is the leader of this Labor government: it does not matter whether it is Kevin Rudd, the member for Griffith; it does not matter whether it is the current Prime Minister. The fact of the matter is that every one of them has supported this public policy, which has consistently failed year after year, month after month, week after week and day after day. As my colleagues Senator Cash and Senator Cormann have said, we are now seeing on average 100 unlawful maritime arrivals each and every day. The consequences of that for this country are huge. Until the senators on that side of the chamber get their heads around the national security significance of that and, may I say, the humanitarian consequences of that, they are actually condemning us all by their very actions.

This is an example of yet another promise that Prime Minister Gillard has broken—just as she has done with the carbon tax promise and just as she has done with so many of her other promises. I remember one of the very early ones that she made when she was education minister: every child at school will have a laptop. Everybody has stopped talking about that one, because that is just one of dozens of promises that she has broken either as a minister of this government or as the Prime Minister. But I have to say that this promise is one that the government will go down in history for and be judged on. Australians hold this Gillard government in contempt for their chaotic and shambolic approach to border protection, and of all their policies it will go down in history as the most damning one. We have heard, yet again, the government's denial of the significance of their failure with border protection policies for this country.

Senator Cash, today, quite rightly raised questions in relation to how the INTERPOL Red Notices were dealt with. These were matters that I raised during estimates. I asked how the integrity of the INTERPOL Red Notices were assessed, how they were ascertained and what the process was. Yet, what we heard from the minister responding today was just a rant. He did not deal with the essence of that question. He could not assure us as to how that was dealt with.

I want to briefly return to Senator Polley's question about whether any of us on this side have spent time with Customs and Border Protection officers or Navy men and women who are dealing with this issue. I have to tell her that, yes, we have. Only a couple of weeks ago, officers were telling me how difficult they are finding it. They did not join the Navy to be a ferry service; they joined to protect our country—and I support them in the work they do.

Question agreed to.