Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

To assist the member: in October, November and so far in December there have been 14 boats that have arrived including the one where 27 people were very fortunate to get ashore and not perish at sea last Monday evening. During the same period last year under the former government's policies, 97 vessels turned up in the same period. I know that those opposite are very sensitive on this point. I welcome the fact that they wish to come in here on multiple occasions and ask questions about these matters. I am happy to answer because their record speaks plainly for itself—that is, they have the worst record of border failure of any government in our history. The Australian people voted for a change, and they are getting that change: there has been an 80 per cent reduction in illegal arrivals to Australia by boat since operation sovereign borders.

I notice that the manager of opposition business continues to protest. But the facts speak for themselves—he was the biggest failure on our borders in our nation's history.

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