David Johnston (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 inform the Senate of the importance of securing and managing Australia's borders?

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

I thank Senator Johnston for his question. We on this side of the chamber understand that the first priority of a government is to ensure the nation's security and defence. We also understand, as do Australians, that a government that cannot control our borders cannot control national security. Governments need to have strong border protection policies. The Australian people understood this when they overwhelmingly voted for the Abbott coalition government at the last election. And the implementation of Operation Sovereign Borders is a testament to the fact that this government has delivered on its promise to the Australian people. The results of Operation Sovereign Borders speak for themselves. We have stopped the boats. It has been over 300 days since there was a successful boat arrival to Australia. We have stopped the deaths at sea, and we are getting children out of detention. Unlike those opposite, who have done a lot of talking in relation to children in detention, it is those of us on this side of the chamber who have got children out of detention.

We also understand the importance of ensuring that our front-line services are properly resourced so that they can undertake their jobs properly. This is something that the former Labor-Greens government failed to understand. Labor, when in government, made budgetary cuts to Customs of $734.8 million, resulting in the shedding of 700 staff. This government, on the other hand, has restored the funding to our front-line services. We have provided a $630 million package, announced by the Prime Minister, as part of our counter-terrorism response. We have also provided Customs with $49.6 million to establish a Border Force Counter-Terrorism Unit. We on this side understand the importance of border security, and we understand that this ensures the security of our nation.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate of how the government has been able to provide additional funding for our front-line border services?

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

And wads of cash—big wads of cash.

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

Well, we can remember that, when Senator Hanson-Young was in control of our borders—because obviously she was the relevant minister under the former Labor-Greens government!—we had a budgetary blow-out of in excess of $11 billion.

In stopping the boats and implementing strong border protection policies, this government has not only been able to deliver humanitarian dividends to the international community but also delivered savings measures of more than half a billion dollars in the 2015-16 budget. This builds on the in addition of $2.5 billion that was delivered in savings in the last budget and that have been reinvested into the Australian Border Force. The Australian Border Force will be the nation's first line of defence against individuals and networks seeking to undermine our border controls or threaten our community. The government is already getting on with the job of ensuring stronger borders. Standing up on 1 July, the Australian Border Force will further strengthen our ability to protect Australians. (Time expired)

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise the Senate if there are alternative proposals which would undermine the security of Australia's borders?

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

I can, and I am disappointed to advise the Senate that there are alternative proposals to the government's strong border protection policies. Unfortunately, those on the other side have thus far refused to back anything that this government have done in relation to securing our borders. You also have the failure of the current Leader of the Opposition to admit that the coalition's policies of turn-backs, which ironically were Mr Rudd's policies leading up to 2007 election, have actually worked. We also only need to look as far as those on the other side and their policy that will get rid of temporary protection visas in the event that they are re-elected to government. Again, on this side of the chamber, we understand that if you cannot control our borders, you cannot control national security. It is a testament to this government's understanding that the first priority of a government is national security and it is the fact that we have strong border protection policies. (Time expired)