Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I thank the member for Canning for bringing on this motion here today. I listened politely and I listened very patiently to the member's contribution—and to that of others—on home affairs and national security. While I appreciate that he was trying to paint himself as the lone sentry at the gates, sounding the alarm while the rest of us are asleep, the problem is that, when the member for Canning was in government, it wasn't just the gates that were left open; it was the entire border of sound governance. Let's not forget here today that this is the same member, part of a coalition government, who sat silent while cybersecurity infrastructure was let to rot, while visa backlogs blew out and while home affairs became less about keeping Australians safe and more about keeping coalition headlines alive.

The member for Canning talked about national security and keeping Australians safe, but he failed to mention the decade-long threat posed by his own side's incompetence. We had the chaos of revolving ministers. We had the secrecy of opaque contracts and the brilliance of outsourcing everything but responsibility. Frankly, the member for Canning speaking about national security is like the fox lecturing the hens on henhouse perimeter fencing. It's bold. It's theatrical. But, ultimately, it's not credible.

The adults are back in charge now, Member for Canning, and we're not here to play dress up; we're here to govern. Under Labor, the Home Affairs portfolio is no longer a political vanity project. It is a functioning portfolio that protects Australia and plans for the future. To the member for Canning: enjoy the speeches and enjoy the stunts, but leave the serious security work to those of us on this side of the chamber, who are actually doing the job.

In an increasingly complex and volatile world marked by geopolitical instability, evolving cyberthreats and global crime networks, Australians need a government they can trust to protect them, a government that acts with integrity, with foresight and with responsibility. Under Labor, national security is not just a slogan; it is a serious responsibility, and we back that responsibility with real investment, with robust oversight and with an unwavering commitment to keep Australians safe.

Let's look at some of the facts. The Albanese Labor government has strengthened our national security architecture through strategic investment in cybersecurity, in intelligence capability and in border security. Through the Home Affairs portfolio, we have restored integrity and coordination across our key agencies in the intelligence community, the Australian Federal Police and Border Force, ensuring that they are equipped to respond to 21st-century threats. Cybersecurity, in particular, has become the new front line of national defence, and Labor are leading the way with our comprehensive nation-building plan to make Australia a world leader in cyber-resilience. After a decade of neglect and after a decade of fragmentation, under the former coalition government, Labor has provided clear leadership, working with industry to lift standards and defend against malicious attacks.

We are also acting on the less visible but equally vital front lines of extremism, foreign interference and organised crime. Under the minister's leadership, the Department of Home Affairs has sharpened its focus on domestic violent extremism and strengthened counter-terrorism coordination while investing in programs to build community cohesion and resilience. But let's not forget national security must be balanced with democratic values, and only Labor strikes that balance, protecting Australians while upholding the freedoms and rights that define our democracy. We do not politicise intelligence, we do not scapegoat communities and we do not outsource responsibility.

Compare that to the coalition. Under their watch, Home Affairs became a bloated, politicised and reactive department, security agencies were thrown into turf wars, cybersecurity preparedness slipped and immigration processing descended into dysfunction. Time and time again, they treated security like a political football—chasing headlines rather than solutions. The coalition talks tough; Labor acts smart. We believe that security is not built on slogans but on strategy, not with fear but with facts, and not by division but through unity and competence. I commend the work of the Albanese Labor government on the Home Affairs portfolio and reaffirm that only Labor can be trusted to safeguard our future.

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