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 outline to the Senate the details of the government's new bridging visa arrangements, which will see more children who arrived in Australia by boat removed from detention facilities?

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. I am pleased to advise the Senate that the government has finalised new bridging visa arrangements that provide greater protection and support for young children aged under 10 and their families and that will enable them to now be released from detention into the community on bridging visas if they arrived prior to 19 July last year. This initiative builds on the success that this government has already had on reducing the number of children in detention. Releasing these young children and their families had not to date been an option for the government, because the previous government's arrangements for bridging visas were insufficient to protect these young children and their families. This lack of support arrangements would have put young children at risk if released into the community on these visas.

This government has now approved new support arrangements for families with children on bridging visas that address the fundamental weaknesses of the former government. The arrangements extend to the care and support that is provided in community based residential detention to those released on bridging visas. These arrangements are estimated to deliver savings to the taxpayer of $50 million over the forward estimates. Restoring integrity to our borders, which is exactly what this government is doing, is not only saving lives; it is now enabling us to release into the community young children, 10 and under, and their families in an orderly and proper manner.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate of the number of children in detention when Labor won office, the number of children in detention when Labor lost office and the number of children in detention now?

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

I think all of us in the Senate would be aware that statistics often tell a very stark story. In relation to the senator's first question, 'How many children were in detention when Labor won office in 2007?', colleagues, does anybody remember?

Government senators: None!

'None' is the correct answer. In September 2013, when the Labor government lost office, who would like to hazard a guess as to how many were in detention? 100? 500? 1,000? How about 1,392 when Labor lost office. Though, 8,469 children had arrived on boats during their six years in office. This reached a record high in July 2013 of 1,992. It is this government that is taking genuine steps to clean up Labor's mess and put children into the community. (Time expired)

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What are you doing with the 800?

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister explain to the Senate how the government's strong border protection policies have enabled children to be removed from detention? And why is it important to ensure these policies remain in place?

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

I am not going to help myself, I have to refer to Senator Sea Patrol's—I mean, Senator Hanson-Young's—interjection: 'What are you going to do with the 800?' I can tell you, Senator Hanson-Young, we are doing a lot more with them than you ever did. Zero children in detention when you and the Labor government assumed office in 2007. Because of the policies that you implemented, in excess of 8,000 children were put behind bars. And you come into this place and have the audacity to try and tell the community that you have suddenly found your moral compass! Well, Mr President, I am very sorry: statistics do tell a story. In this regard, the story is boat after boat after boat, child after child after child, and it is this government that is cleaning up that mess.