Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Macdonald for his question, and I know that he has a keen interest in ensuring that the boats continue to be stopped. In answer to Senator Macdonald's question, it is all about putting in place policies that are tough but fair. In terms of the policies that the coalition government has continued to put in place, they are tough but they are certainly fair and what they have done is they have stopped the boats. We have as a government secured our nation's borders.

We understand as a Liberal-National government that border security, the security of the Australian people and the Australian nation, is a fundamental responsibility of the Commonwealth government. But this has not occurred by accident. This has occurred because we have stood firm. We have stood down the people smugglers. In fact, Senator Macdonald, you would be aware that we have stood down opposition from the Labor Party and the Australian Greens. We have put in place policies that the Labor Party and the Australian Greens said would never work. They said they were impossible. We have turned back the boats when have they tried to come to Australia illegally. That has worked. It is something those on the other side said was impossible. We introduced temporary protection visas. Again, it's something that those on the other side said would never work. More importantly, we made the vital decision that anybody who attempted to come here illegally would never be settled in Australia.

As a result of those tough but fair policies we have ensured that we have taken back, from the outsourcing to people smugglers, border security policy in Australia. We will always ensure that the security of our nation and the security of the Australian people are put at the paramount section of policy.