Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

The test that we need to put before the new minister is: can he reverse the cuts that have been made to the agencies that are now in his charge? We know that, if he cannot achieve that, then he cannot march in here and laud the effectiveness of the AFP, the ACC or Australian Customs and Border Protection Service when they do have a success, because the cuts made by the Labor Party are undermining the ability of those agencies to have the success that he has been lauding.

I am happy to make that commitment on behalf of the opposition. We will ensure that front-line border protection agencies and front-line law enforcement agencies will not be subject to the sorts of cuts we have seen under the Labor Party. If this minister is going to be effective, he needs to get up now and give that same commitment.

I also give the commitment that we will reverse the savage cuts the Labor Party made to the ability of Customs to screen cargo when it comes into Australia. We will reverse that $58.1 million cut and make sure that they can screen cargo when it comes into the country and help the state police forces fight crime. He should give the same commitment. (Time expired)

See this speech in context