Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was going to begin on a very positive note and share with the Senate the contribution that the Leader of the Liberal Party and of the coalition set out this morning at our regular party meeting. But, before I do that, let me make this very clear response to Senator Singh's comments: you do not do humanity or human beings any justice by encouraging them, or the people smugglers who would like to benefit from the trade in their hope or their search for a better life, with a set of policy prescriptions that only encourage them to travel dangerous distances over dangerous seas to our shores. Labor's conscience is rightly bruised by this shameful policy approach it has taken to protecting our borders—a policy approach that has failed.

On a more uplifting note to begin my contribution to this debate, it was pleasing this morning at our regular party meeting for Tony Abbott to use the last opportunity in this session for a meeting of coalition members and senators to recommit himself and our party to build a better life for the Australian people, to build a better life for the forgotten families of our country. In his very eloquent speech he committed the coalition to a positive plan to deliver a strong and prosperous economy and a safe and secure Australia. Not surprisingly, and in response to the very many calls Australians have made of their coalition representatives, he committed himself to securing our borders, to stopping the boats by putting in place policies that we know can work in the future because they have worked in the past.

We have heard this afternoon that this government is 'committed' to breaking the people-smuggling trade, to slowing down illegal arrivals and to putting in place an orderly immigration program. But, I am sorry, commitment is not enough. What the community want is real, effective action. They are not seeing that from this government. What they want to see is a policy program that delivers results; a policy program that will work because it has been proven to work in the past.

We heard from Senator Lundy about the 'ebb and flow' of illegal arrivals in our country as somehow excusing this government's failure to secure Australia's borders. I think that, instead, 'ebb and flow' better describes the government's policy thinking: its indecision, its poor policy choices of the past and its constant failing when it comes to protecting our borders. Please! We also heard from one government senator that the government can defend its policy failure, defend the arrivals of thousands of illegal immigrants on hundreds of boats, by talking up a television series. The virtues of a television series are now being used to defend the government's poor policy making on border protection.

Hardly a day goes by without another boat arriving to remind Australians, as if they needed reminding, that this government has comprehensively botched the management of our borders. On Saturday we marked—I deliberately do not use the word 'celebrated' but, rather, marked—five years since Labor won office. Looked at another way, this means it is five years since Australia had in place a suite of comprehensive, effective policy measures that actually stopped the boats. The Howard government had solved the problem, thanks to its tough stance and its use of temporary protection visas. People had ceased risking their lives by making the dangerous boat journey to Australia. But, as we all know, this Labor government took a solution and created a problem.

When the Rudd government won office there were just four—the same number as there were in the Beatles; the same number as there are seasons—just one, two, three, four people in immigration detention who had arrived illegally by boat. Five years later, that number is around 12,000. We have approximately 2,000 people arriving by boat every month, and this government has no earthly idea what to do about it.

Recall the sorry history: the Prime Minister seized the leadership from Kevin Rudd because, she said, this was one of the big three issues she was going to fix. She started by launching her East Timor solution. She then moved on to the Malaysia solution. Alas, the Prime Minister failed again, that one shot down by the High Court. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.