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

(—) (): Quite simply, because it is resolve and consistency that actually stops the boats. In relation to the statistics, they bear witness to that fact. The Australian people know that; we know that. The only people who do not know that, and who refuse to admit it, are those on the other side. This is what resolve and consistency has done in relation to Australia's borders. We have effectively stopped the flow of boats. People are no longer dying at sea. In excess of 1,200 people died at sea under the former government's policies. Thousands of children were placed in detention. What are our policies doing? Our policies are ensuring that those children are now released from detention and into the community. In relation to the cost saving to the Australian taxpayer, we have saved them approximately $2½ billion over the forward estimates in the budget. (Time expired)