Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to speak on this motion today and to be given an opportunity to set the record straight. Let me be very clear: the Albanese government do take the safety of Australians very seriously, and we are taking unprecedented measures to ensure that they are safe. This motion isn't about keeping Australians safe. This motion is about the same thing that we see from Peter Dutton and the LNP day in, day out, and that's negativity, stoking division. They've got no plans, but they're happy to come in here and divide Australians and bring up scare campaigns and use negativity to try to generate some sort of campaign for themselves. That's not what Australians need or want from this parliament, and it's certainly not what the Albanese government is focused on.

The Albanese government is focused on delivering for Australians, particularly when it comes to the cost-of-living pressures. But we are also focused on ensuring that Australians are safe. When it comes to a particular issue which comes up from time to time in this debate, around national security, I want to make it very clear that, under the Albanese government, border protection funding has never been higher. We saw debate and an intervention from the Leader of the Opposition this week about funding of Operation Sovereign Borders. I want to be very clear that the government remains absolutely committed to the policies that underpin Operation Sovereign Borders.

Let me make this very clear: border protection funding has never been higher. Since coming to government we have invested an additional $470 million over the forward estimates into this protection of Australians. That intervention from the Leader of the Opposition was very calculated, I would say, and it was unfortunate. It has ramifications not only for our agencies, who are working day in, day out to protect Australians, but for the safety of Australians themselves. We know that after those comments were made they were quickly dismissed, and I'm not talking about some politicians on this side of the chamber. Very soon after these comments were made we saw a statement from Commander Joint Agency Taskforce Operation Sovereign Borders, Rear Admiral Brett Sonter, that said:

The mission of Operation Sovereign Borders remains the same today as it was when it was established in 2013.

Let's be clear: Rear Admiral Brett Sonter is saying that Operation Sovereign Borders remains the same. He went on to say:

Any alternative narrative will be exploited by criminal people smugglers to deceive potential irregular immigrants and convince them to risk their lives and travel to Australia by boat.

That is what this type of misinformation does: it actually encourages the people smugglers. And that is coming from the commander of the taskforce in charge of Operation Sovereign Borders.

I want to say this as well. Community safety is a lot of things. Community safety also goes to social cohesion. What we've heard in this place from those opposite and some on the crossbench is a complete disregard for the fact that words in this parliament matter. Words in this parliament have an impact on how safe Australians are. The head of ASIO said:

As I have said previously, words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions.

If those opposite are concerned about keeping Australians safe then I would encourage them to look at the words they are using in this chamber. I would encourage them to make sure that the 'facts' they put forward are true and have been fact-checked, and to make sure that they are not looking to mislead Australians and stoke more division. We in this place have a responsibility—and the Albanese government recognises that—to make sure we don't do what the Liberal and National parties and Peter Dutton are doing, which is to go to negativity, go to division and try to divide Australians. That's not what this government is doing. We are seeking to keep Australians safe. That is why we have increased the funding for border protection; that is why we are supporting our agencies and delivering those border protection policies; that is why we're committed to Operation Sovereign Borders; and that's why we know that language in this debate really matters.