Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister please inform the House of the importance of a consistent approach in relation to border security. What are the consequences of inconsistency in relation to border protection?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for his question. The coalition has been totally consistent when it comes to the very important issue of border protection. We were consistent during the Howard years and we have been thoroughly consistent during the period of government under Tony Abbott.

What does it result in?—a couple of very important outcomes because of this consistency. Firstly, we have been able to stop the deaths at sea—1,200 people died at sea under Labor's watch. The boats have stopped and the deaths at sea have stopped. In the last 12 months of the Labor government, 302 boats arrived. That meant that over Labor's period in government, 50,000 people had arrived on 800 boats. The boats under this government have stopped.

The Prime Minister spoke before about the number of children in detention, and those numbers have declined also. I want to report to the House that in 2007 there were zero children in detention.

Mr Perrett interjecting —

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

The member for Moreton!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There were zero children who had arrived by boat. In the first year of Labor, the number went from 35 up to 342. In 2010 it went up to 1,251. In 2012 it went to 2,500. In 2013, under Labor, the number went to 3,523. In 2014—the first period under which this government had responsibility—it went down to 50. In 2015, so far, that number is at zero. If you want to keep children out of detention, you stop the boats, because the worst possible thing that could happen is that the boats start again and the children start to flow back into our detention centres. It is very interesting, when you have a look at a contrast in relation to policies in this very important area.

Ms Burke interjecting—

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

The member for Chisholm!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor has now had, as a result of the member for Sydney's comments on the weekend, 13 different positions since 2007. Firstly, they proposed to abolish TPVs and abandoned the Pacific solution; they extended appeal rights and legal assistance in November 2008; they had the East Timor solution, which famously, some indicated would result in people jumping the fence to get into the detention centres, not to get out; they had the Afghan return solution; they had—one of my favourites!—the Malaysian people swap, the five-for-one deal, which was a complete outrage and abrogation of responsibility, but that is what we expected from Labor; they had Manus Island mark 1; they had the Houston expert panel in August 2012; they had the PNG arrangement in July 2013.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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

The member for Moreton is warned! One more statement and he will leave the chamber.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If only I had more time, I could detail more about Labor's flips and flops when it comes to border protection, but be assured of one thing: if Labor is re-elected at the next election, the boats will return.