House debates

Wednesday, 13 September 2017

Questions without Notice

Citizenship

2:47 pm

Photo of Rick WilsonRick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection: Will the minister update the House on steps the government is taking to strengthen Australian citizenship? Why is it important that aspiring Australians are of good character? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

2:48 pm

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question and for the great work he does in Western Australia. Over the course of the last couple of years, this government has cancelled the visas of about 2,800 noncitizens, people who have been here on visas on a temporary basis and who have committed very serious offences against Australian citizens. We've ramped up by about 1,200 per cent the number of those visa cancellations, and we've made Australia a safer place as a result of that action.

The reality is that, under the Labor Party, many of those people would have gone on to become Australian citizens. That is an unacceptable outcome. Ninety-nine per cent of people who come to our country do the right thing and abide by Australian laws. But the one thing that this government will deliver to the Australian people is the best possible national security environment. We will keep our borders secure, and we will make sure that the Labor Party does not get in the way.

We've introduced a bill into the parliament, which has passed the lower House and is now in the Senate, in relation to tightening up in relation to citizenship so we can make sure people who have abided by Australian laws, adhered to our values and integrated into Australian society can become Australian citizens and those who haven't do not become Australian citizens.

The reality is that, when you are looking at a Labor leader, you know that he or she is most weak when he or she sides with the Greens. We saw it in Julia Gillard, we saw it in Kevin Rudd and we see it with this leader as well. The fact is that, in the Senate at the moment, the Greens have moved a motion to wipe this citizenship bill off the Notice Paper, and it is being supported—you wouldn't believe it, Mr Speaker—not by Nick Xenophon, not by Cory Bernardi, not by Pauline Hanson and not by anybody else except for the Labor Party. The Labor Party don't want this debate because they are torn internally in relation to it. You see what happens when the Labor Party cuddle up beside the Greens. You know that they're in this battle in inner city seats around the country where they're desperate to stave off the attacks from the Greens. What does it result in? In relation to boats, when the Labor Party cuddled up next to the Greens, 50,000 people came on 800 boats and 1,200 people drowned at sea. And do you know what else, Mr Speaker? The Labor Party cuddled up beside the Greens and they were in coalition with the Greens. Do you know what happens when that happens in relation to energy policy? The fact is that we get blackouts and we get blowouts in electricity prices.

The fact is that under the Labor Party, particularly when you've got a weak, shifty leader like this Leader of the Opposition, boats will always come and energy prices will always be higher under that leadership.

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for McEwen is warned.