Kevin Hogan (Page, National 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 why a strong and consistent approach to immigration and border protection is necessary?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. Obviously, all Australians know that the High Court delivered a decision yesterday which sought to clarify the situation in relation to the legality and constitutionality of the offshore processing arrangements, and the government's position was provided with backing. My very strong message to the people smugglers is that we do not want them back in business; we do not want them offering to people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam or anywhere else an opportunity to hop on a boat and come to our country.

I would say to all of those people who are vulnerable—and it totals millions of people across the region; as we are seeing in Europe at the moment, there are people who are vulnerable and desperate and would seek to come to a country like ours who are prepared to pay thousands of dollars to get a better economic outcome for their family, which you can completely understand—that the way to Australia by illegal boat is closed. We have been very consistent in that message. And, as the Prime Minister rightly pointed out before, it is very important that the people smugglers, the organised criminals who run these syndicates, hear a clear and consistent message from the government of the day.

When the Labor government headed by Paul Keating was overturned and John Howard came into power, there was a mess to clean up, because Labor was not able to preside over a consistent policy approach then. The Howard government cleaned the mess up. Yes, it is true: perhaps with even good intent, Labor was not able to stand by an honest and decent arrangement that stopped people coming to our country by boat.

I am proud of the fact that we have been able to allow a record number of refugees into our country. In addition to the 13,750 this year, which grows to 18,750 per year over the coming years, there are the 12,000 Syrians that we will seek to bring to this country. Providing that aid and support and a new way of life to those refugees is a dividend of the way in which we have been able to close down the people-smuggling trade.

I have sought from day one in this portfolio to make sure that we can reduce the number of children in detention down to zero, and I intend to get to that point. I can advise the House that the number of children in detention, which was some 8,000 when Labor was in power, is now down to less than 80. In fact, as of today, that number is at 75. We will work with many people to make sure we can reduce that number down to zero. But now is a time for our country to be united and for the Labor Party to support the government to make sure the people smugglers can hear a consistent message, and that is that we are not going to allow people smugglers to get back into business.