Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

The reason that having had a life before entering parliament—in small business, working in the trades or whatever it might be—is important is that it delivers you a practical understanding of what families and our country face on a day-to-day basis. Our country faces a significant threat from terrorism, and for some reason those people who have led a work life in the union movement before they come into this place have no comprehension of what it is that this government needs to deal with. That is why they were so incompetent when they were last in government. I see the member for Lilley laughing over there as he writes away on the next chapter. He was in support of Bill but now he is a fierce enemy of Bill; and we will find out about that next week, as I understand it. It gives you an insight into why the Labor Party is so out of touch with the Australian public. It is why the Leader of the Opposition yesterday spoke about the changes to citizenship as a 'dog whistle'; it is why he has no prospect whatsoever of getting up a policy at Labor conference for turning back boats where it is safe to do so.

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