Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the savings to the budget of regaining control of our borders. How have these savings been put to use in increasing our border protection?

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

I thank the member for Calen for his question. He is not alone on this side of the house, because on this side of the House one of the key differences is, when those opposite sat on this side of the House, we are reunited team on border protection. Everyone on this side of the House stood there and went to the last election and we said one thing amongst many, and that is: We are going to stop those boats. To a person we have stood here in the face of the critics, whether they are there, although there, or they are outside of this chamber. We have stood resolute with the policies that have worked.

Those opposite may like to be reminded that last year

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The question has been asked. We are listening to the answer and there will be silence in which it will be heard. The minister has the call.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

The member for child will remove himself under 94(a).

Member having left the chamber—

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

Those opposite may like to be reminded that last calendar year there were 300 illegal maritime ventures that came to Australia. This year there has been one solitary venture. What that has produced is, through the success of our policies, savings of $2½ billion to the budget. In addition to that, in the closing of the centres that that chaotic mob opened when they ran a border chaos agenda, it has saved an additional $283 million. There are 600 fewer children in detention today under this government than when this government came to power. And there will be another 460 fewer if the Labor Party joins with the crossbench in the Senate, who are already supporting, through the Palmer United Party, our bill to ensure the temporary protection visas are put in place. If they ensure that turn backs continue under stronger measures, it will enable us to release another 460 children out of detention. That mob over there, they are voting against it. Together with the Greens, they are voting against it. It was their policy that as a boat arrived the only thing they would do was send people to Nauru. That was all they would do. They would not do turn backs. Yesterday in this place every single one of them voted against turn backs, and in so doing showed that their policy is to add and add and add to the cost of detention and to put more children in detention offshore processing centres rather than stand up and implement the policies that work.

Success in policy is its own advocate, and when it comes to border protection success in policy has a strong advocate. We have stood as a united team for a decade for the policies of this government on this issue, while those opposite have fought amongst themselves. They have been unable to get to a consolidated position and have learnt nothing from their errors as almost 1,200 people died on their watch and as they crammed the children into detention, and they still stand resolute in their failure. (Time expired)