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

I thank the member for Herbert for his consistency, having served in uniform like many in this chamber. I thank them all for their service. Those who put themselves at the greatest risk need to have the confidence that the government that can send them into harm's way is consistent when it comes to the issues of law and order and national security.

Our government has always been consistent when it comes to these matters, whether it be on our borders, our investment in our defence forces and building up our defence capability, working with our partners and alliances, restoring the Quad or moving into the AUKUS arrangement, which is the single largest national security policy we have seen since ANZUS. It is important that you're consistent on these things and that you stand for what you believe in on these issues. I have always done so as a minister, as a backbencher, as a shadow minister, as a treasurer, as a social services minister and, indeed, as a prime minister.

But the Leader of the Labor Party, together with the Greens, cannot make that same claim. It was the Leader of the Labor Party who, together with the Labor Party, voted against the strengthening the character test bill, which allows serious criminals to avoid having their visas cancelled, and they have remained in this country. It was the Leader of the Labor Party who opposed our bill to crack down on child sex offenders, and this included a 25 per cent mandatory minimum for serious and recidivist offenders. He voted against it. On border protection they voted 77 times against measures to strengthen our borders. They voted 22 times—

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