Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again the House is descending to a noise level which makes it impossible for those who are in the chamber listening and those who are listening on the airwaves. They are interested in what happens here. They are interested in how their individual member behaves. That includes the member for Melbourne Ports. I would ask that we have silence for the question and silence for the answer.

Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Minister, what benefits will flow to taxpayers because of the government's success in protecting our borders?

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

I thank the member for Longman for his question. I know taxpayers in his electorate will be pleased to know that it has been 159 days since the last successful maritime people-smuggling venture to this country and they will also be interested to know that, over the same period last year, there were 157 such successful ventures to Australia and over 10,000—10,396—arrivals. The dividends that have flowed from this government's successful policies are both the humanitarian dividend and, of course, the economic dividend.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I just need to raise with you that the member for Herbert has returned to the chamber in less than an hour. Under those circumstances, there is significant precedent over the actions that are now required.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will ask the Clerk whether or not there has been an infringement. I am advised by the Clerk that he is of the opinion that the member came in within the right time. I call the honourable the minister.

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

The humanitarian dividend is of course important because over that same period of 159 days there have been no deaths at sea by people seeking to come to this country. I note that it is important to be across the facts of this issue, particularly if you are operating in this portfolio area. I notice that the shadow minister today, speaking at the Press Club, made the statement that there had been no deaths at sea since 19 July. That is a false statement because he should know that there have been 79 deaths at sea since 19 July. He should know that. I think that calls into question this shadow minister's ability to get across the facts, to understand the issues and to be competent in the portfolio. On all those criteria, under the previous government he would have sat satisfactorily as a minister for immigration, based on their performance.

There is also a $2.5 billion boat-stopping dividend in this budget. Those opposite remain in denial about the problem, as we heard today. They also remain in denial about the solution to the problem. They deny their culpability in border protection failure, that they started the boats, and they deny the fact that this government has been successful to date in stopping the boats. But there is method to their mad denial because they know, if they accept the fact that this coalition's policies are doing exactly what they said they would do, then they would have to adopt them and they would have to keep them. We know, if they were ever to return to these benches, they would turn back on turnbacks, that is for sure. They would turn back on turnbacks. They would roll over on offshore processing. It would only be a matter of time because they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to introduce it. They would be rolled over by their backbench before long and they would continue to honour the promise of people smugglers for those who had arrived illegally by boat by giving them permanent visas.

This government has a plan to stop the boats which is working and is opposed by those on the other side of the House. We have a plan to fix this budget, which is opposed by those sitting on that side of the House.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.