Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

We continue our work to protect the Australian community. We have already introduced a range of steps including ankle bracelets, increased monitoring and curfews. We have provided additional support to our agencies, $255 million in total in extra support for these measures. We made it clear from the outset that we will consider options to strengthen laws further to protect Australia. We introduced a new bill to make strong laws stronger, a bill that the opposition voted against yesterday in the House of Representatives—for all their tough talk.

We will work through the High Court's written reasons when they are handed down in a few minutes' time. Contrast this with the actions of some of those who sit in this chamber, because we see the opposition regularly say one thing and do another. The Leader of the Opposition talks tough on border but he slashed funding for compliance staff when he was the Minister for Home Affairs. Mr Dutton talks tough on crime but, under his watch, sexual exploitation of migrants, and organised crime and people trafficking skyrocketed. When we need leaders to protect people, Mr Dutton plays politics. This government sees the challenges in the world and is upfront with Australians about them. We don't play politics with national security or social cohesion and nor should the opposition. We won't repeat the mistakes made by the coalition in the past.