Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister inform the House on the importance of strong and consistent measures to protect out borders? Are there any fresh challenges to these measures that are stopping the boats?

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

I thank the member for her question. This government is doing what we said we would do on our borders. We are doing exactly what we said we would do. The member for Corangamite, like every other member on this side of the House, can look their constituents in the eye and say, 'We said we would stop the boats, and that is exactly what we are doing.'

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

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

If the member for Rankin is anxious to leave, he can be assisted.

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

We took to the election what we could do and we have achieved that to date. We will continue to achieve it by holding fast to the policies that we know work and that we have always believed would work. We will remain steadfast in our convictions to those policies. When those opposite go to their constituents and look them in the eye, their constituents will see one thing when it comes to border protection and that is failure. Because for six years that was the history and that was the form of—

Mr Marles interjecting—

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

The member for Corio will desist. Is the member for Corio anxious to leave again?

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

If he wants to ask me a question, Madam Speaker, he is welcome, but he just wants to shout shrill objections. Are you going to leave or are you going to ask me a question? Have some guts and ask me a question. The contrast could not be more stark. The only thing—

Mr Marles interjecting—

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

The member for Corio is warned. One more utterance and you will leave under 94(a).

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

The only thing that will be turned back by Labor, if they are ever to come to power again, would be the successful border protection policies of this government. How do we know that? It is their form—that is what they did last time and that is what they always do—because they do not believe in strong border protection policies. They were dragged kicking and screaming to offshore processing. We have not had a successful people smuggling venture in almost six months, and that has not happened by accident. It has happened as a result of conviction and belief in policies that we know work. Those opposite have had every position under the sun on border protection. They have been for turn backs; they have been opposed to turn backs. Kevin Rudd said he would turn boats back prior to the 2007 election—

Mr Marles interjecting—

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

The member for Corio will leave under 94 (a) immediately.

The member for Corio then left the chamber.

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

but the promise did not even last until Christmas. They were for offshore processing; they have been against offshore processing. They have been for temporary protection visas and against them. People smugglers profited from the weakness of the previous government. If they were ever to occupy these benches again, the people smugglers would profit again, because Labor's weakness bears them out. Whatever their proclamations, or the division in their own ranks, the Labor Party will always be weak on border protection.