Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to make a contribution on this matter of public importance that's being put by the opposition, on keeping Australians safe. When I first read about it I wasn't really sure whether it was a bit of a joke, because, quite frankly, the Albanese government has done everything that anyone would have expected of a Commonwealth government around protecting our national borders. It's really disappointing to see that the coalition is trying to politicise issues of national security once again. One can only think that there must be a by-election this coming weekend.

On this side of the chamber we take national security very seriously. Operation Sovereign Borders, for instance, is a very mature set of policies that the Labor Party supports and has been working with those opposite on for some time. In fact, Operation Sovereign Borders funding has increased under this government, by $470 million over the forward estimates, and we've invested more in his operation than any other government has previously. So we won't be providing a running commentary on operation matters, because we know that it will simply feed information for people smugglers, and that's the last thing we want to see happen yet again in this country.

But let me be very clear. Operation Sovereign Borders is better resourced and more supported by this government than it has ever been, and the government will continue its strong border protection measures.