Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government is progressing with its commitment to restore integrity to Australia's border protection?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's not Friday!

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence I will call the minister. The Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question. The Senate will be aware that in the 2013 election the coalition went to the election with a very, very clear suite of policies. On 7 September the public of Australia cast their vote, and they cast their vote in favour of the coalition's policies. We committed to the Australian people that we, unlike the former government, would implement policies that would break the people smugglers' business model, which the other side had continually fuelled whilst it was in government.

Those on the other side would know that they failed Australians in relation to border protection like no other government has ever done in history. This government was elected with a very clear mandate to implement Operation Sovereign Borders and I am pleased to advise the Senate that we have made a difference from day one. There has been an over 80 per cent reduction in the number of boats coming to this country since Operation Sovereign Borders commenced. In relation to the offshore—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am entitled to hear Senator Cash's answer and Senator Cash is entitled to be heard in silence.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! I am entitled to listen to the answer, as is Senator Smith, who asked the question. Senator Cash, continue.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. In relation to offshore processing, the Abbott government is fully committed to offshore processing, unlike the former Labor government, which used the term but failed to do anything with it. In relation to the rapid transfer process, I can advise the Senate that this is happening and the majority of people are being transferred within 48 hours to Nauru or Manus Island.

We have, of course, taken off the table the people smugglers' business model, which is the promise of a permanent protection visa. Our policy is very clear: no person that comes to Australia under the Abbott government will receive a permanent protection visa. This government has the right policies in the right hands— (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your guilt is manifesting itself in outrage!

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate why it is important for the government to ensure that it delivers on its election promises in this area?

Senator Conroy interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is very difficult to give the minister the call when, as soon as the question has been asked, you interrupt.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a fact, and Australians know it, that any federal government has the sovereign right to control its borders. We on this side understand that. Those on that side failed to understand that whilst in government. The Australian people, in casting their vote at the federal election in September 2013, clearly cast a vote in favour of the coalition's policies. It is only by delivering on our strong border protection policies that we will stop the chaos, the tragedy and the bill, of in excess of $11 billion of taxpayers' money, that was irresponsibly racked up by those on the other side because they failed Australians when it comes to protecting Australia's borders. To relinquish control of your migration program to the people smugglers is one of the most fundamental mistakes a government can make. (Time expired)

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister advise of the dangers to Australia of not pursuing a strong border protection regime?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The greatest danger presented by not pursuing strong border protection policies is that, like the former Rudd government, the former Gillard government and the former Rudd government, we will continue as a government to outsource our border protection policies to the people smugglers.

This government is completely aware of the risks that people take when they attempt to make the dangerous journey to Australia. It has been confirmed that under the former government's policies over 1,000 people lost their lives while attempting to come to Australia by boat. This government is committed to stopping the boats, to stopping the people smugglers from peddling their promise of a permanent visa and encouraging vulnerable people to get on boats and risk their lives. This government has the right policies. They are in the right hands, and those policies are delivering results.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Projection. I refer to my question last week regarding the number of individuals currently in detention centres and the documents she tabled in response, dated 31 October 2013. Why is the minister so contemptuous of requests by the Senate that she is tabling documents that have been in the public arena for over a month rather than addressing the substance of the question that was actually asked in question time?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wong for her question. I have to say that if I knew Senator Wong had paid this much attention and had wanted this much detail in relation to border protection policies, perhaps this government—and you can take a point of order because you do not like the truth—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Wait a minute, Senator Moore.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! When there is silence, I will call Senator Moore, who is on her feet. Senator Moore.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. My point of order is about relevance, and I thank the minister for her help. In terms of the process, it is responding to Senator Wong's question about documents that were tabled in response to our request.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister has been going for 16 seconds at this stage and the minister still has one minute 44 seconds remaining. I am listening closely to the minister's answer. There is no point of order at this stage.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Let me tell you what contempt is. Contempt is when the former government, in relation to the statistics that I tabled, determined that because there were so many people coming into this country illegally by boat—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order!

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Again I have a point of order on relevance. After the initial point of order, we felt that there would be a return to the question, and there has not been.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order on both sides! Senator Cash and Senator Wong, there is no point debating it across the chamber. Senator Moore has taken a point of order correctly. When there is silence on my left, I will proceed—and on my right. At this stage there is no point of order. The minister has one minute and 25 seconds left on the clock to address the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to content, as I was saying, this government on assuming office determined that it would recommence publishing the statistics in relation to immigration detention, because the former government had made a decision not to publish them. The longest period of time being five continuous months in which the department did not put up on any website the statistics, I asked at estimates time and time again for them. What was the responses that I got? 'The department is currently not putting up the statistics.' So Senator Wong, when you stand up in this place and you accuse someone of being contemptuous, that is the pot calling the kettle black, quite frankly, based on your government's record in relation to the provision that the Australian public—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order! Have you completed your answer? You have 26 seconds.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I have 26 seconds to go! Seriously, they gave me a dorothy dixer—why would I stop? Contempt is when the former government hides from the Australian people the true state of the detention network in Australia.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Order on my left! Senator Moore is on her feet. You will get the call, Senator Moore, when there is silence on both sides. When there is silence, Senator Bernardi, I will proceed. Order!

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order is about relevance. The question was specifically about the tabling of public documents that have been in the public arena for over a month. That was the question.

Senator Cash interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cash, you have 17 seconds remaining. At this point there is still no point of order. I invite the minister to address the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, this government made a decision on day one that it would recommence publishing the statistics in relation to Australia's detention network and would clean up the mess that those on the other side have created.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a supplementary question. I refer to the most recent reported arrivals of undetected asylum seekers on Christmas Island—and for the minister's benefit, this is the report of asylum seekers spending a number of days on a beach before they were detected. Can the minister advise when they arrived, how many arrived, for how long they were undetected, and when the minister, Mr Morrison, was first informed?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By way of background, I wonder where Senator Wong was when the boat arrived at Geraldton. I do not remember you asking a question in relation to the boat that came to Geraldton.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on both sides!

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order on relevance to the specific question: when they arrived, how many arrived, for how long they were undetected and when Mr Morrison was first advised. That was the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister does need to come to the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would refer Senator Wong to the briefing given last Friday by the minister for immigration and the statement made in the Senate recently in relation to this incident. I will also advise the Senate that the incident is the subject of a standard post-incident operational assessment to ensure that any lessons learnt from this incident are incorporated into future practice.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The minister has not answered the question. It is a very simple question and I would ask her to answer the question that I asked. I also ask her to confirm reports that these individuals arrived on a boat which sank and whether any distress calls were received by local authorities. It is a very straightforward, factual question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I stated, I refer the minister to the comments made by the minister for immigration, Scott Morrison, in relation to this subject matter. As I have advised, the incident is now the subject of a standard post-incident operational assessment and the government will await the outcome of that review.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on notice.