Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, my sincere congratulations to you, Mr President, on your election. My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. Can the minister inform the Senate of the results which can be achieved when a cohesive and determined approach is adopted in relation to Australia's border protection policies?

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

I thank Senator Reynolds for what is her first question. Yes, I can inform the Senate of the results which can be achieved when you implement policies that work. It is called restoring integrity to Australia's borders. This is what we said we would do at the 2010 election and at the 2013 election. We went to the election stating that, if elected, we would introduce policies that would stem the flow of boats to Australia and restore integrity to Australia's borders.

By way of comparison, in July 2013, under the former government, 48 boats arrived carrying 4,236 people. That equates on average to approximately 136 people every single day for the month of July. So when the senator asks, 'What are the results that can be achieved?' I say this. The first thing you do is stop the deaths at sea. Under the former government, with policies encouraged by the Australian Greens, in excess of 1,200 people were confirmed drowned at sea. So you stop the deaths at sea. You also restore fairness to the Humanitarian Settlement Services program. Thousands of refugees languishing in camps were left there by the former government because the former government had a policy that those who had the means and the opportunity to come to Australia were given precedence over those who had spent in excess of five, 10, 15, 20 or 25 years in camps. So you restore integrity to Australian borders. The other thing you do is you return money to the budget when you stop the boats.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of differing approaches which have been used to protect Australia's borders from illegal maritime arrivals and what is the outcome of those approaches?

Senator Hanson-Young interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Hanson-Young!

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

There is a fundamental difference between those on this side when it comes to border protection and those on the other side encouraged so aptly by the Australian Greens—that is, we believe in resolve. We say we are going to implement policies that will restore integrity to Australia's borders and that is exactly what we do, despite at every turn being faced with opposition by the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens. Who can forget the 11 different policy solutions that the former government allegedly had? They flip-flopped from policy failure to policy failure. Who can forget the greatest policy failure of all, which were the words of former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Senator Chris Evans when he said that the proudest moment of his political career was unwinding the former Howard government's Pacific Solution. We all know what happened there and it will not be happening again under our watch. (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the strong border protection policies adopted by the Howard government led to a very significant reduction in the number of those held in immigration detention?

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

The simple answer to the senator's question is yes. When Labor assumed office in 2007, there were four people in immigration detention and none of them were children. The Christmas Island detention centre was empty. Due to policy failure after policy failure, the former Labor government had to open or reopen a number of detention centres including Inverbrackie, Pottsville, Wickham Point, Curtin, Scherger, Yongah Hill, Blaydin Point, Darwin Airport Lodge, Berrima House, Adelaide transit accommodation, Brisbane transit accommodation, Port Augusta residential housing. I can confirm for the Senate that under the Abbott government we are doing the exact opposite; we are now closing detention centres and in fact we have already closed a significant number of facilities. Inverbrackie is due to close by mid 2015. Aqua and Lilac APODs on Christmas Island will also close by then and we will save the Australian taxpayer $283 million over four years. (Time expired)