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

I thank Senator Smith for his question and ongoing interest in this matter. Earlier this year, as senators would be aware, the coalition government made a commitment that in 2014-15 we would provide a minimum of 4,400 resettlement places under the Special Humanitarian Program for people affected by the humanitarian crises in Iraq and Syria. This includes a minimum of 2,200 places for Iraqis, including ethnic and religious minorities fleeing the violence in northern Iraq to neighbouring countries. It also includes a minimum of 2,200 places for Syrians, including those living in desperate conditions in Lebanon.

Our commitment to resettling Syrians and Iraqis escaping the conflict zone highlights without a doubt the humanitarian dividends that are made possible as a result of this government's successful border protection policies. The only dissenting voices to the coalition government's overwhelmingly successful border protection policies are the people smugglers, whose business model we have smashed, and those opposite, still vocally supported by the Greens, who continue to show that they just do not get it.

This government has made it very clear that priority in the humanitarian program should be for those waiting overseas and entering Australia under an orderly process. The brutality of ISIS has been made abundantly clear to all and in the immigration portfolio we are doing everything that we can within an orderly process to ensure that we can assist those who are in these conflict situations.