Linda Reynolds (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 further inform the Senate of the importance of protecting Australia and our region from the evils of people smuggling and the importance of having strong border protection measures?

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

I thank Senator Reynolds for the question. Yes, I can. Unlike other parties represented in this place, and, in particular—given what we have just seen—the Australia Greens, those of us on this side of the chamber understand the importance of having strong border protection policies. We understand that a government that cannot control its border, quite frankly, is not fit to be in government. What did we see under those opposite for six long years?

Senator Hanson-Young interjecting—

You can hear Senator Hanson-Young there in the background, because she was a key protagonist in relation to these policies. For six long years the Australian people witnessed the devastating effects of what occurs when you lose control of border protection policy. By way of example, what did we see? There was $11.6 billion in budget blowouts, because when you lose control of the borders it costs the Australian taxpayer money. Fifty thousand people arrived here illegally by boat. In excess of 800 boats arrived. Of course, as Senator Brandis has said, we had the unfortunate tragedy of at least 1,200 people dying at sea, and not once, when 1,200 people died at sea, did we have Senator Hanson-Young or the Australian Greens come in here and show any form of responsibility for the deaths that occurred. We had the undermining of our humanitarian program. We had to say 'no' to people who had spent not five years, not 10 years, not 15 years but 20 years languishing in camps because of the policies that were implemented by those opposite. Let us not get started on the number of children that were held in detention because of policies implemented by those opposite. That is the reason we have tough border protection policies. (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (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 humanitarian benefits which have only been possible because of the coalition government's strong border protection policies?

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

As we on this side know, the benefits of Operation Sovereign Borders and strong border protection policies include an important dividend which was on display last week. That is, of course, the ability of the Australian government and the Australian people to offer to have a one-off increase in our humanitarian intake of 12,000 people for those displaced by the humanitarian crisis in Syria. The only reason that was able to be done was that we had stopped the boats. Through stopping the boats we have been able to offer the one-off increase. If you look at what would have happened under those on the other side, in the last two years of the Rudd-Gillard Labor government we had almost 30,000 people arrive by boat and if they had continued in office we would have already had another 30,000. That would have made it virtually impossible to do what we on this side have done, and that is to open up our arms and say 'welcome' to those from Syria. (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 inform the Senate of any budgetary dividends which have been delivered by the coalition government's strong border protection policies?

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

Yes, I can. When you lose control of your borders, there are a number of things that happen. One of them is that you have cost blow-outs: almost $12 billion directly because of the failed border protection policies of those on the other side. In stopping the boats, what have we achieved? In the 2015-16 budget alone, we have been able to deliver savings measures of in excess of half a billion dollars. Because we have stopped the flood of illegal arrivals, we have also been able to close many of the 17 additional detention centres that were opened by Labor because they could not stop the flow of boats arriving. These savings alone will contribute $326 million back to the Australian people over the coming years. And when you stop the boats, you stop the charter flights flying to Christmas Island—another dividend, in terms of providing savings, of approximately $66 million dollars. (Time expired)