Linda Reynolds (WA, 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 to the fact that it has now been six months since the last successful people-smuggling venture reached Australia. Can the minister inform the Senate how the government accomplished this?

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

Yes, I can inform the Senate as to how we did it—quite easily actually. We restored the proven border protection policies that were followed by the former Liberal government, the Howard government, which those on the other side quite unsuccessfully wound back in August 2008. And, in restoring those policies, we did it with commitment, with resolve and with perseverance. These, of course, are the policies which those on the other side—even on the last sitting day of the Senate last year—said would never work. They continued to say that in the face of all of the evidence. On that point, let me just look at the evidence.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They said it couldn't be done.

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

They did, Senator Cormann; they did say it would never be done. But let us look at whether or not Operation Sovereign Borders is actually achieving the results that the government said that it would. Look at the facts: in the 12 months before Operation Sovereign Borders commenced we witnessed an astonishing 401 boat arrivals carrying over 26,000 illegal maritime arrivals. That is just in the 12 months prior to OSB commencing.

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

Pause the clock.

Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order that the minister is seeking to mislead the parliament and the Australian people. It is not illegal to seek asylum in Australia.

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

That is not a point of order; that is a debating point.

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

I have to say: 12 months and 26,000 versus, under Operation Sovereign Borders, just one people-smuggling venture of 157 people—and all of those persons were transferred to offshore processing. That is success in policy, and it is a policy that those on the other side continue to oppose to their peril. They have basically stated to the Australian people that if they are re-elected we will see a return to the chaos and the cost of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor governments when it comes to losing control of our borders.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister able to reaffirm to the Senate the government's commitment to offshore processing and is the minister aware of any alternative views?

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

To quote Senator Fifield: in one word, absolutely. This government has made it very clear to the Australian people that offshore processing is part of the suite of successful policy measures that this government has implemented to stop the insidious people-smuggling trade. When in government, if you remember what happened to those opposite, they were dragged kicking and screaming to this side of the chamber to vote for the reintroduction of offshore processing.

In terms of alternative policy approaches, I can enlighten the Senate, because on 22 January 2015 we heard some comments from the member for Fremantle, Ms Parke, who is quoted in The Australian as saying:

I do think that offshore processing is clearly not working and those centres need to close down.

So even in the face of the facts, the figures and the evidence those on the other side still do not believe— (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister explain to the Senate why it is important to maintain strength and consistency when it comes to protecting Australia's borders?

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

If as a government you are committed, unlike those opposite and in particular unlike the Australian Greens, to stopping the deaths at sea—and under the former government we know that in excess of 1,200 people died at sea attempting to make the perilous journey to Australia—we must stand by our strong policies. If we are committed to ensuring that the Australian government, and not the people smugglers, sets the law in relation to our borders then we must stand by our strong policies. If we are committed to ensuring a level of fairness for those asylum seekers or refugees who have been languishing in camps overseas for not five, not 10, not 15 but in excess of 20 years, then we must keep our resolve in relation to our policies, and that is what those on this side of the chamber will do. (Time expired)