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

Indeed I can. The fine work of our border agency personnel is backed up by a government that actually believes in border protection. Not only that: it is prepared to fund our border protection agencies and has the resolve to do what is necessary. The savings that we are making by way of our policies are going to be reinvested back into front-line services. We are reversing the cuts of over $700 million made to our border agencies by those opposite when they were in government. Quite frankly, they ripped the guts out of customs and border protection. This government is providing an additional $150 million to our border agencies, specifically to deal with counter-terrorism activity. Counter-terrorism units have been in operation now for some time. Eighty specialised officers are either up and running or are being put into place across the network. This is what happens when you stop the boats.