Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Watt. Given that the High Court struck down the Leader of the Opposition's citizenship cessation laws, which he was warned repeatedly were bad law, how is the Albanese Labor government fixing the national security mess left by Mr Dutton?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the minister, I'm waiting for order.

Senator Ruston, when I call for order it includes you.

Senator Ruston twice!

Senator McKenzie, I am waiting for order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's time for a few home truths when it comes to home affairs, Senator O'Neill, so I thank you for your question. Today, the Albanese government has flagged its intention to introduce legislation that will enable Australian citizenship to be stripped from individuals who pose a real and immediate risk to our community.

The Senate will be aware that this is not the first time such a scheme has been brought before this parliament. In fact, those opposite had two attempts at it—in 2015 and 2019. The laws they introduced in 2015 were so unworkable that they had to repeal them. The second attempt was even worse, being ruled unconstitutional by the High Court this year. Who were the architects of these ill-devised laws? They were none other than the person who they never mention—Mr Scott Morrison—and the person who's out there lecturing us day after day, Mr Peter Dutton. What a complete mess Mr Dutton left the Home Affairs portfolio in. Report after—

Opposition senators interjecting

They don't like it! Let me remind you. Report after report found gaping holes—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Order!

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'The votes are back in town!'

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, will we just wait for you to come to order after I've called it? Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They just don't like hearing the truth, do they? Report after report found gaping holes in Mr Dutton's rorted visa system, which was letting criminals into the country. It was a visa system that allowed foreign organised-crime syndicates into the country. These included the Albanian mafia, who engaged in drug trafficking, money laundering, slavery and sexual exploitation. Who was the minister the whole time that was happening? It was Mr Dutton. What did he do in the wake of all these reports? He cut compliance officers by 50 per cent. That was his solution—reducing compliance, not increasing it. There was a visa backlog of one million applications. Who was the minister who let that happen? It was Mr Dutton. For all his tough talk on boat arrivals, what happened when Mr Dutton was in charge? In 2018, a boat ran aground in Far North Queensland carrying 15 asylum seekers.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, a first supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the Albanese Labor government's constitutionally sound approach to citizenship laws keeping Australians safe and secure?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll wait for silence. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, isn't it interesting that, when you talk about making laws that are constitutional, what we hear from the other side is laughter? That is the problem that existed under Mr Dutton. The entire time they were in government, they laughed at the notion that laws needed to be constitutional. They were full of tough talk but never tough laws that would actually stand up to scrutiny. Unlike those opposite, our primary focus is the real safety of Australians. We listen to our law enforcement agencies and to legal advice. We don't laugh at it, like all of those opposite. We follow through with actions; we don't just talk tough. That's what you're seeing today: we're flagging important legislation to strengthen our national security. We're a government that is providing $255 million in additional support to our agencies—a government doing its job to keep Australians safe. One of the lessons that those opposite refused to learn in government was that unconstitutional laws don't make anyone safer. Tough talk doesn't make Australians safer. Strong laws do, and that's what we're delivering, rather than just tough talk.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, a second supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much for that comprehensive response, Minister. Can the minister advise the Senate on some of the current risks for important community cohesion and national security?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator O'Neill, for the question. It seems that, currently, the biggest risk for community cohesion in Australia is the Liberal Party and Mr Peter Dutton. Every day we see this opposition led by Mr Dutton obsessed with ratcheting up division and anxiety in our community. Last week, one of his minions, Senator Paterson, was right in line, saluting and doing his job, rushing onto television and declaring a terrorist attack on the Canada-US border that didn't actually happen and wasn't a terrorist attack at all. He declared it a terrorist attack before the investigation had even established what had happened. It shows how desperate the Liberal Party is, under Mr Dutton, to ratchet up division and anxiety in our community that they would run out there at the drop of a hat declaring terrorist attacks that haven't actually happened and haven't been checked at all. Senator Paterson made these claims while, at the same time, raising questions about a visa process for those who are fleeing war zones which is exactly the same process as it was under the government he was a part of. We need to bring people together, not divide them. (Time expired.)

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell. Will the minister confirm whether media reports are accurate that a boat containing illegal maritime arrivals arrived last week in Western Australia and that its passengers were subsequently flown to Nauru?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for his question. As he would be well and truly aware from his time in the former government, we don't make comments about these operational matters. Obviously there have been media reports about the issues, but, as a matter of practice, we don't make comments about these matters, and we're not about to start now, Senator Paterson.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a first supplementary?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister confirm that this is the 10th attempted illegal venture bound for Australia since the Albanese government was elected in May 2022?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for his first supplementary question. I can only repeat what I said in answer to the earlier question. It has long been the practice—of your government, when it was handling these issues, and of this government—that we don't—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Paterson

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance—Border Force officials do routinely confirm the number of attempted arrivals at Senate estimates. Why can't you?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, that's not a point of order. Minister Farrell, please continue.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can only say the same thing I said in the first answer, Senator Paterson: we don't comment on these operational matters. Where we do differ from what the previous government did is that we don't seek to politicise national security issues. We are the adults in the room.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Farrell, resume your seat. Senator Paterson, a second supplementary?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since coming to government, Labor has cut $600 million from our border protection regime and flagged its intention to abolish temporary protection visas. Will the government commit to restoring Operation Sovereign Borders in full before we see a return of the tragic loss of life at sea that we saw under the previous Labor government?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for his second supplementary question. What I can say in answer to your question, Senator Paterson, is that the government remains and has always remained absolutely committed to the policies that underpin Operation Sovereign Borders. What we won't do is seek to do what you did, which was politicise these issues. We are going to handle these issues in a sensible and mature way. We're going to make sure that our borders continue to be protected. The Australian people can be very confident, under the Albanese government, that we will continue to protect our borders.