Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I extend my best wishes to you, Mr Acting Deputy President, on the first day of our parliamentary year and, indeed, I extend them to all of my Senate colleagues. I pity, of course, my Senate colleagues on the opposite side. We saw today just how much of a struggle it is for Labor in 2016 to come to grips with the new modernity and leadership of our national leader in Malcolm Turnbull, the leader of the coalition. They have struggled with the same story and message that they tried to prosecute last year on the first day of this new parliamentary year when we have a fresh, reinvigorated government and a fresh, reinvigorated Prime Minister.

Labor is confused. It is dazed. It cannot find its mojo under the national leadership of Malcolm Turnbull. When Labor talked today about the government's priorities, it was interesting to hear what they did not talk about. They did not talk about the success of the previous Prime Minister and, indeed, the coalition government, in abolishing the carbon tax. They did not talk about the success of the previous Prime Minister and the success of the previous coalition government in abolishing the mining tax. And they could not bring themselves to have a touch of graciousness when it came to the policy that has stopped deaths at sea. They could not bring themselves to even credit the coalition government with having stopped deaths at sea with its stronger borders approach.

I want to touch briefly on the suggestion that this government, as we approach the election this year, in some way or in some form, has the wrong priorities. The government has stopped the carnage on the high seas by halting the flow of boats, meaning that people are no longer drowning when they try to travel to Australia illegally. How can that be a wrong priority?

There are more Australians employed today than ever before. Month after month, Labor come here trying to predict doom and gloom in the unemployment figures, but unemployment is heading down under the coalition. There were over 300,000 jobs created in 2015—the largest number since 2006, easily surpassing anything Labor were able to achieve in office. How can that be a wrong priority?

Indeed, on issues important to my home state of Western Australia, the government has concluded free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China—agreements that Labor were good to talk about but bad in bringing to a conclusion when they were in office. They were all talk when it came to free trade agreements; there was no ink on the final agreements. These agreements, as we know, will create significant new export opportunities for Australian producers and might be part of the reason consumer sentiment continues to be on the rise in our country even as it declines elsewhere in the world. How can these be wrong priorities?

We have heard Labor and, indeed, the Greens very predictably try to prosecute arguments about the republic, try to prosecute arguments about same-sex marriage and try to prosecute arguments about climate change. I am tired of having to come to this place and say, 'While those are issues of some importance and relevance to ordinary Australians, they are not issues that are "top of mind".' Let me tell you what issues are top of mind for everyday Australians. They are: keeping our borders strong, generating jobs growth and, importantly, from my home state of Western Australia again, tackling this big, bold dream that we have always had in our country to develop northern Australia.

Let me briefly, in the time that is available, reflect on the government's success in keeping borders strong but also, importantly, in making sure there are no unfortunate deaths at sea. Just last year, in December, the immigration minister reflected on the achievement of the government. Over 1,200 people drowned when Labor were in government. Five years of Labor mismanagement meant that people lost their lives at sea. In the two years since, no-one has died risking their lives to come to Australia. Since commencing the turnback policy, more than 20 boats carrying 650 passengers—people who are paying people smugglers—have been returned to their country. There is no excusing the fact that Operation Sovereign Borders is a tough policy; it is tough on people smugglers. But it is a great virtue because it saves people's lives. There has been nothing from Labor about the important policy priority of protecting our borders. It is worth reflecting on what happened under Labor. Labor opened 17 additional detention centres. The coalition has closed 13. Around 9,000 people who arrived illegally by boat were in detention when Operation Sovereign Borders commenced. We have reduced this to just 900. Most importantly, we have reduced the number of children in detention. More than 8,600 children were detained during Labor's two terms, peaking at nearly 2,000 in July 2013. We have reduced that number to fewer than 100 today. No-one likes children in detention. Senator Hanson-Young is right: 80 is too many. But the clearest dividend of the government's success in regard to Operation Sovereign Borders is the government's generosity in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq by resettling 12,000 additional refugees here. These places are for the most vulnerable people: persecuted women, children and families with the least prospect of ever returning to their homes. There has been nothing from Labor in regard to the important priorities of protecting our borders, reducing loss of life at sea and, as a dividend, being able to bring 12,000 refugees to our country to give them a better opportunity at a new life.

The government has made it clear: jobs and growth are its mantra; jobs and growth are its priority. It is worth reflecting briefly, in the time that is available to me, just how successful the government has been so far in its first term. The government has a strong record when it comes to jobs with 427,200 jobs created since we came to office. It is worth comparing that with Labor's last year in office. In 2013, employment growth was just 1,900 per month—an annual growth rate of just 0.2 per cent. Over the past year, jobs growth has been more than 10 times that amount with more than 25,100 jobs created per month—an annual growth rate of 2.6 per cent. The government's priorities are right. The government's priorities reflect the priorities of ordinary Australians, and that will be reflected later in the year at the general election.