Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

Senators would be aware that on 18 September the country celebrated 12 months since the implementation of the coalition's Operation Sovereign Borders policy. Since the implementation of the policy, the clear failures of those on the other side have quite literally been laid bare for all to see. Let us cast our minds back to 2007, when there were four people in immigration detention and none of them were children. Jump forward five years, and this country saw in excess of 50,000 people arrive here illegally on in excess of 800 boats. In the 12 months preceding Operation Sovereign Borders, under the former government, there were a total of 401 people-smuggling boat ventures carrying 26,543 people on board. I remind people who are listening in that those people were dumped into the community by those opposite and they did not even commence processing them. They left the Australian taxpayer with a legacy case load of 30,000 people whom they literally dumped in the community.

No-one has died at sea since this government implemented turn-backs in December 2013. Compare that to the 1,200 who were confirmed dead at sea under the former government's policies. In September of last year, the Australian people voted overwhelmingly for those on this side to restore integrity to our borders, and that is what we are doing.