Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. I ask: will the minister advise the Senate of the importance of strong and consistent policies on border protection?

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

I thank Senator Back for his question and for his ongoing interest in the government's policies that have been stopping the boats. I think it is very, very clear that, when you have strong and consistent border protection policies, you can stop the boats. When you have strong and consistent border protection policies, you send a very, very clear message to the people smugglers that, under this government, they do not have a policy to sell.

This government has been able to implement its strong and consistent border protection policies despite the protestations from those opposite that its policies would never work. The evidence is clear: we have delivered on the promise that we made to the Australian people prior to the 2013 election. We said to them: if you elect us to office, we will implement strong border protection policies and we will stop the boats—and that is exactly what we have done.

The importance of the government's strong border protection policies is evidenced in so many ways, not least of which, of course, is this one statistic: 1,992. For those who do not recall what that statistic is, quite frankly, shame on you on the other side because that is the number of children in the detention network under the former government when it peaked in 2013. Of course, we cannot forget that, under those opposite, a total of 8,469 children arrived on leaky boats as a result of the former government's failure in relation to our borders. We on this side understand strong border protection policies stop the boats.

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of the effect of strong and consistent border protection policies on the budget?

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

Yes, I can. Under this government, in the 2014 budget, we announced savings of $283.3 million over four years. How were those savings achieved? Again, by implementing our strong and consistent border protection policies. Compare that to the record of those on the other side. Under Labor and the Greens, the budget for managing illegal boat arrivals blew out by just under $12 billion.

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

Pause the clock.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order, Mr President. I would like to seek direction from you. Senator Cash continues to use the word 'illegal' when it is not illegal to seek asylum.

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

That is no point of order, Senator Whish-Wilson; that is a debating point.

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

Clearly, Senator Whish-Wilson does not like the truth, and the truth of the matter is that the policies that Senator Whish-Wilson and the Australian Greens supported and continue—

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

Pause the clock.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. At the start of today's proceedings, you made a statement about the use of language in this parliament. We have just heard the minister state that Senator Whish-Wilson 'does not like the truth' and she has gone on to use what is, in point in law, incorrect. The term 'illegal' has no validity.

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

There is no point of order at all, Senator Di Natale. The context in which Senator Cash has used her terminology does not infringe the standing orders. In relation to your second point, that is a debating point about terminology.

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

I have to say, in relation to cost blow-outs, when it comes to the Greens there is one tree they like to cut down, and that is the money tree—$11.6 billion in budget blow-outs because the money tree that the Greens were using ran out of money. (Time expired)

Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate of the benefits to Australia's humanitarian immigration program when the government is able to regain control of Australia's borders?

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

In stopping the boats and in reintroducing strong and effective border protection policies, this government has managed to not only save the taxpayer money and get the children out of detention but also stop those dying at sea. Under Labor and the Greens, in excess of 1,200 people died at sea, making that perilous journey to Australia. We have also managed to increase the humanitarian intake to 18,750 places over the course of the next four years. We have also managed to quarantine each year no fewer than 1,000 places in our humanitarian settlement program for women at risk, who are recognised globally as the most in-need group of refugees. But what we have also done is that we have returned fairness to the system, and we have put at the front of the queue those people who languish in camps for decades at a time.