Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, yet again you and I are going to have to agree to disagree. I fundamentally reject the premise of all of Senator McKim's questions. But I also would make the point that, Senator McKim, you have stood here proudly today and stated that you have been to Manus Island now four times. Four times you went up there and you encouraged the residents not to comply with the directions given by either an Australian government or the PNG government. You go up there quite deliberately but quite proudly, as you say, to enflame tensions in relation to this matter. You go up there quite proudly again, as you have stated, to give the residents false hope that they may come to Australia. Senator McKim, like so many activists, you have encouraged the residents to stay in a centre where there was no food, no electricity and no water just so that you could make a political point.

I'm not going to make a political point; I am going to put facts on the table as to why the government will not waver when it comes to border protection. Senator McKim, you were unfortunately but in your political party quite proudly associated with the former Labor government that did lose control of our borders. Because of that, in excess of 50,000 people arrived here illegally by boat, and we are still dealing with that issue. But, in particular, Senator McKim, the policies that you supported meant that 1,200 people died at sea trying to make the journey to this country. (Time expired)