Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. How could the government possibly ever rely on a 10-year average trend in illegal arrivals by boat for its expenditure estimates in the budget, when that period clearly covers the successful Howard government border protection policies which stopped the boats? Does the minister not realise that as a result of the actions of the former Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, the trend significantly changed and further accelerated and deteriorated under current Prime Minister Gillard?