Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's talk about good government and losing control of the borders. Not only did it directly result in 1200 people drowning—the most horrific and horrendous deaths—but it also completely undermined our humanitarian program, which we also lost control of. What else did bad government from those opposite look like? It started the building the detention centre revolution with over 17 detention centres built to accommodate the loss of control and the people who flooded into this country. Most shamefully, not only were there 1200 deaths and no candlelight vigils for those 1200 people who died in our waters, but there were 8000 children who went into detention under those opposite—nearly 2000 at one time. That is not good governance.

What does good government look like? We attained it; we taken the tough actions; we have regained control of our borders; we have had not a single death at sea; and not a solitary boat arrival for well over 12 months. Not a single person has been commoditised and dehumanised by people smugglers in that time in trying to get here. We are releasing the majority of children from detention; the majority have already been released. All children from Christmas Island have now been released—the children whom those opposite put in detention. That is not good government! This is good government. Almost all the detention centres that Labor opened have been made redundant. If those opposite do not think that closing detention centres, stopping people dying at sea and regaining control of our borders do not constitute good government, then I, quite frankly, do not know what is. It is no wonder that the country is in such a mess when you were in government—