Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration, Senator Watt. Minister, the Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that over 75,000 unlawful noncitizens remain in Australia, undermining national security, driving down wages and adding pressure to housing and public services. Why has the Albanese Labor government failed to deport them and enforce our immigration laws?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not sure what the source of that information is, but every day the Department of Home Affairs takes action to remove from Australia people who have overstayed their visas. This government has made significant efforts to tackle the large amount of immigration that we have seen into Australia since COVID. We attempted last year to pass legislation to limit the number of international students in our universities, but of course that legislation was voted against by the coalition and, I think I'm right in saying, by One Nation. So, when we have made attempts to limit immigration in a way that the Australian community is seeking, that's been blocked or opposed by the very parties who are now asking questions about these issues.

As Senator Ayres has flagged, there is someone seeking election to the highest office in the land while also making secret promises behind closed doors to bring back visas for billionaires from overseas, and his name is Mr Peter Dutton. Mr Peter Dutton likes to go around pretending that he's tough on immigration while also boasting, as he recently did, of having allowed more people into Australia than any other immigration minister in Australia's history.

So let's take it a lot in perspective when it comes to what different parties are saying around migration. Some like to complain and miss the opportunity to vote for legislation designed to put some reasonable limits around immigration. Perhaps, the next time the government tries to do something about immigration levels, Senator Hanson and her friends in the coalition might decide to support what we're doing.

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

Senator Hanson, first supplementary?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

HANSON (—) (): Under your party, you brought 1.4 million visa holders into Australia. Anyway, these visa loopholes under Labor are being exploited. Foreign workers are taking Australian jobs for lower wages and benefits, and deportations are being stalled by endless legal appeals. When will your government stop bending over backwards to accommodate migrant workers and activist lawyers and start standing up for Australian jobs and wages?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Hanson. I wish I had more than 58 seconds to respond. First of all, as I have already said, our government, as has occurred under both sides of politics, takes action every day to remove people from Australia who are not entitled to stay here. Also, our government has attempted to put limits around migration, which you voted against—

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

Minister Watt, address your comments to the chair.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

which Senator Hanson and Senator Roberts voted against only last year when they had an opportunity to work with us to put those limits around migration. You ask about wages? Seriously? Ever since Senator Hanson entered this parliament, around the same time as me, she has voted against every move the Labor Party has taken to lift wages in this country, and she has the hide to come into this chamber and ask what we're doing about wages? This goes back to well before we were in government. When we were trying to change the law in opposition, you voted with Senator Cash and the Liberal Party to stop coalminers getting the pay that they were entitled to when we tried to fix the same-job same-pay laws. You did it in opposition, and you've done it since we've been in government. Seriously. (Time expired)

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

I remind you to direct your answers to me. Senator Hanson, second supplementary?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, it's been reported in the Australian that the Prime Minister recently attended a private dinner in Toorak where he dined alongside a wealthy international education operator whose college was shut down for significant noncompliance—

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

Gina Rinehart. Gina Rinehart—

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

Senator Hanson, please resume your seat.

Senator Whish-Wilson, order!

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

Who paid the bill?

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What do we get—a suspension?

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

Order! Senator Whish-Wilson and Senator Thorpe, I remind you both of 203. I will draw to your attention standing order 203, particularly those parts about senators refusing to conform to the orders and disregarding the authority of the chair. Senator Hanson, I am going to invite you to put your question again. I think you had only just started it. If you wouldn't mind, could you put the question again, and I will reset the clock.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, it's been reported in the Australian that the Prime Minister recently attended a private dinner in Toorak where he dined alongside a wealthy international education operator whose college was shut down for significant non-compliance. Why is Prime Minister Albanese rubbing shoulders with individuals from the scandal ridden student visa sector instead of taking real action to cut down on scams, visa mills and rorts that are flooding Australia with cheap labour and fake students?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson. It's great to see you back in Australia after having had lunch with your donor Gina Rinehart in Thailand. Various people choose various people to hang out with, whether it be here in Australia or overseas. Your own question is answered by what you've asked. The report referred to a function that the Prime Minister attended that turned out to be a function with a group that we are actually taking enforcement action against, so there can be no suggestion that the Prime Minister or anyone else in our government has gone soft on anyone. No government has done more to crack down on dodgy international education providers than the Albanese government.

I think the person who's got some explaining to do is Mr Dutton. Mr Dutton's got some explaining to do about why he's saying he wants to bring back the golden ticket visa that was discredited and got rid of because it was prone to fraud and it was open to bringing in spies and criminals. Maybe you should talk to your friend Mr Dutton, Senator Hanson.