Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why don't you ask about jobs in Canberra?

Senator Polley interjecting—

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer the minister to the fact that—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Seselja, you are entitled to be heard in silence.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senators on my left! Order!

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. I refer the minister to the fact that, when Labor was elected in November 2007, there were just four people in detention who had arrived by boat, the budget for managing illegal arrivals by boat was $85 million, 4,706 people received offshore humanitarian visas, and the offshore component of our refugee humanitarian program was over 75 per cent of the total intake. Minister, what has been the impact on the budget and our refugee and humanitarian program of six years of avoidable cost, chaos and tragedy under the former Labor government?

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

I think all Australians would agree that there is no greater example of incompetence and mismanagement than under this portfolio under the former Labor government. As Senator Seselja has said, in 2007 when the Labor government took office, there were four people in immigration detention that had arrived by boat. Effectively, the number of people arriving had been reduced to zero in 2002. Our immigration detention network was costing the Australian taxpayer less than $85 million—let me say that again, because I said 'million' not 'billion' dollars—per year. Yet what did the former Labor government do? They ripped apart the Howard government's proven Pacific solution and, in six years, we had in excess of 50,000 people arrive here illegally by boat, from a starting point of zero when they assumed office.

In terms of budget blow-outs, we had a budget blow-out of in excess of $11½ billion of taxpayers' money, when under the former Howard government the entire immigration detention network was costing the taxpayer less than $85 million. In terms of the human consequence of the failed border protection policies of those opposite, more than 14,500 desperate refugees living in camps were denied a place in our very precious humanitarian program because those places were taken by those who came to this country illegally. So, in terms of the impact, it was disastrous on both a financial level and a human level, and this government is turning it around.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of the savings being achieved by the coalition delivering on its election commitment to stop illegal arrivals by boat?

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

I confirm with the Senate that under this government's border protection policies there has not been a successful people-smuggling venture to Australia in now over 20 weeks. If you compare that same period of time last year under the former government, 8,942 people arrived on 135 boats.

How does that translate on budget day into savings for the Australian taxpayer? As Minister Morrison announced last Friday at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, tonight, because of the Abbott government's strong border protection policies, we will have saved the Australian taxpayer $2.5 billion over the forward estimates, compared to in excess of an $11½ billion budget blow-out under the former government. That is a successful policy. (Time expired)

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister further advise the Senate how the coalition government is repairing the damage to our border protection regime which occurred under the former Labor government?

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

While the former government had a process of opening detention centre after detention centre after detention centre—in fact, they opened 17—this government is taking the steps to now close detention centres. On Friday, Minister Morrison announced that we will now be closing a further six detention centres opened by the Labor government, and this is in addition to those closures which we announced in January this year.

Because of this government's responsible border protection policies, we have been able to announce the establishment of the Australian Border Force as of 1 July 2015. Savings realised because of this government's border protection policies will not be frittered away like the former government did but instead will be responsibly reinvested back into this portfolio to continue to secure Australia's borders.