House debates Matters of Public Importance
Border Protection
Brendan O'Connor Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Home Affairs
4:30 pm
In 1999 there were 86 vessels and 3,721 arrivals on our shores. The third highest arrivals in that period occurred in 2000, when there were 43 vessels and 2,939 arrivals. That is one doozy of a surge. That is the largest spike we have had in irregular arrivals in our history. The difference is we agreed with the former government back then and said it was because of international factors. The difference is the amateur mob opposite and the shadow minister now suggest that this is a result of domestic policy. This is the first time that has been asserted by an opposition in relation to a surge, and that is because—
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