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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General please advise the Senate why it is so important to have bipartisanship on Australia's border protection arrangements?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why don't you try a bit harder?

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Order on my left.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought the opposition would regard border protection as a serious issue—apparently not. Thank you very much indeed, Senator Reynolds; that is a very important question. And the simple answer to your question is this: because we cannot send confused signals to people smugglers.

Until now, the Australian Labor Party has been prepared to extend bipartisanship. In the case of many of them it has been with great reluctance, I know, but, nevertheless, hitherto the Australian Labor Party has been prepared to—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It’s a bridge too far!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come in spinner, Senator Carr; come in spinner.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

I think you are revealing too much of your own motives here.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

You see, today the government introduced a bill to further strengthen—

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

Order! A point of order, Senator Reynolds?

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

I cannot actually, from here, hear his answer over Senator Carr.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order—on my left; on both sides. I remind all senators that it is disorderly to interject, and I also need to hear the answers as well as the questions. Attorney-General, you have the call.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning, the government introduced a bill to amend the Migration Act, to prevent illegal maritime arrivals taken to a regional processing centre from obtaining an Australian visa of any kind. We hoped that the Australian Labor Party would see the wisdom of supporting this measure, because it sends yet another strong signal to the people smugglers that they do not have a product to sell—that they cannot assure their clientele of a migration outcome to Australia. But unfortunately, I believe, this morning, the Australian Labor Party has decided to break bipartisanship on this issue, to send confused signals to the people smugglers. But the people smugglers know one thing for certain, and that is: for as long as the coalition is in power, they will not have a product to sell; Australia's borders will remain secure. Unfortunately, we cannot say that about the Australian Labor Party.

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

Senator Reynolds, a supplementary question.

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

How will Labor's decision today to oppose necessary changes to our border protection regime impact on Australia's security?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Reynolds, I know that you, more than most people in this chamber, from your distinguished career prior to coming into the Senate, understand these issues well. So you will understand that, when there are 14,000 people, we assess, waiting in Indonesia to get on a boat to come to Australia, it is absolutely vital that none of those people be given the hope that they could, one day or another, even in the distant future, secure a resettlement in Australia. What this legislation has done is to ensure that that is not possible. Operation Sovereign Borders has successfully halted criminal people smuggling. Unfortunately, because of the position the Australian Labor Party takes, Australia does not present a unified face to the world, but, Senator Reynolds, this government does.

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

Senator Reynolds, a final supplementary question.

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

I want to ask the Attorney-General: what messages does Labor's decision today send to people smugglers? What does it tell the people smugglers? What are the consequences of the messages?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will tell you the message it sends to people smugglers. It sends the message to people smugglers that if, one day in the future, there were ever to be another Labor government, they would be back in business because the Labor Party is not prepared to take the strong decisions that this government has had the spine to take to do everything necessary to deprive the people smugglers of a product to sell. Could I remind you, Mr President, that we have now had 835 days without a boat arrival. Since this government was elected, no-one has died at sea. Every one of the 2,000 children who were in detention as a result of the Labor Party's policies at the time that we came into power have been released, and 17 detention centres have been closed. That would all be lost if Labor came back to office.