Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for her question and her resolute support—like all members on this side of the House—for ensuring that we keep Australians safe and secure. Whether it's on our borders, whether it's in our defence forces, whether it's protecting women in our community—wherever it is, this government, this side of the House, will always be voting for measures that support and strengthen Australia and that strengthen our national security.

We have a plan that has been working to make Australia stronger. I outlined that plan again this week at the National Press Club and I table that plan that takes Australia forward to keep Australians safe and secure into the future. And it's a plan that's working, because the first responsibility of any Australian government is to keep Australians safe and secure, and our government is discharging that duty of responsibility. What we saw in this chamber yesterday was the leader of the Labor Party fail to discharge his responsibilities for national security and protecting our borders in this country. So there is a clear contrast, but the contrast goes wide when it comes to national security. Our plan is to recapitalise our defence forces to get us back from the shameful position which saw defence spending as a share of our economy fall to pre-Second World War levels under the Labor Party. Our plan is to protect our borders, not weaken them as the Labor Party voted to do yesterday in this chamber. Our plan is to disrupt and deny terrorists, and, under the great work done by our security agencies, 14 terrorist attacks—

Ms Butler interjecting—

See this speech in context