Jim Molan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a very simple yet a very serious issue that we have here. That issue is that you cannot trust the Labor Party or the Greens on border control. They will always refer—always refer—to compassion, but where is the compassion in 1,200 people dying at sea? Let's talk about the availability of medical treatment on islands like Manus and Nauru. What medical treatment is available to the 1,200 people who have died and are on the bottom of the ocean? That's the issue we've got to look at today. Those that deny that this will start the boats again are denying the obvious. Isn't it a definition of absolute silliness to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome? We've had this before. We've had this time and time again before, and we find the same outcome.

I've heard the briefings. I've heard the well-intentioned comments that people around the chamber have made. There are no evil people talking on this issue. We are all compassionate people. My compassion, when I was appointed as the co-author of Operation Sovereign Borders, was to sit down and make an ethical decision, as I have many times in my life and in my military career. It is an ethical decision to have strong borders. If other countries in our region had borders as strong as ours, then of course we wouldn't need to be doing this, because people who arrive in those countries illegally would not be able to come to our country illegally. I have been an advocate, as has Mr Morrison, when he was the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, for strong borders throughout our region. Strong borders—as with good fences—make very, very good neighbours.

Today really is an opportunity to talk about the wilful disregard that the opposition have demonstrated for Australia's border security. Yesterday evening's events in the House of Representatives are a very big, flashing warning sign about the simple and serious point that I make, and that is that you cannot trust the Labor Party on border security. Yes, as Senator Storer says, the boat turn-backs are still in place. Operation Sovereign Borders is still in place. Should the Australian people choose a new government, how long do you think that will stay in place? Who do you think Ms Kearney is going to back? Who do you think Sally McManus will put pressure on people to back? Is any one of the 30 people in the Labor Party caucus who have indicated they don't support turn-backs going to allow Mr Shorten to ever do a turn-back in any way, shape or form?

Those on the other side pose as champions of morality and the right things, but the policies they support lead to what is fundamentally an immoral outcome, because we know the outcome of this in the past and it remains highly likely to recur—I says it's inevitable, and it is also immoral. Rewarding people smugglers and those who are willing to break the law disregards the potential for more deaths at sea. The other side also makes the assumption that people detained always tell the truth. They never lie. They cannot feign sickness or invent claims about their backgrounds, and they should be taken at face value. This is a level of naivety which is mind-boggling, to say the least. Claims that there is no medical support on these islands are absolutely farcical. Time and time again, we have indicated what is there and, compared to an Australian town, how much more these people up there are getting than an Australian in similar circumstances.

Back in 2013 I was appointed as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Operation Sovereign Borders. I saw this very, very closely from the inside, as well as being a co-author before the election. We had two years to achieve a good result. We could do it. We have a Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, who knows this inside out. We did it before. We can do it again in the future. I've seen this at close range. It does not work as soon as you lose resolve. (Time expired)