Julia Banks (Chisholm, 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 action the government is taking to protect—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chisholm will resume her seat. The member for Grayndler and the Leader of the House will cease interjecting. I'm trying to hear the member for Chisholm. The member for Chisholm will begin her question again.

Julia Banks (Chisholm, 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 action the government is taking to protect Australian families from criminal gang members? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I want to thank the member for Chisholm very much for the hard work that she's doing in her community and the support that she provides to the government's program to cancel the visas of people who are in Australia who have committed serious offences against Australians. Now, the government have been very deliberate in saying to people who have come here on visas that abiding by the conditions of those visas is a condition of their presence in our country, and, when they break the conditions of those visas—that is, when they commit criminal offences against Australians—we cancel those visas.

I'm pleased to report to the House that the number of cancellations under section 501 of the Migration Act is now over 3,000, and it includes the cancellation of 154 outlaw motorcycle gang members. What we know of outlaw motorcycle gang members is that they are the biggest distributors of ice and amphetamines in our country. They import, they manufacture and they distribute it, and they are otherwise involved in serious crime, including providing muscle for the CFMEU on building sites around the country.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Labor Party scoffs at this. But we know that the price of a unit in Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane is up by 30 per cent because of the involvement of the CFMEU. Does the Leader of the Opposition have any regard for that whatsoever? No, he does not, because this Leader of the Opposition will always stand up for the union bosses over the union workers.

We saw recently, only on 6 October, an incident that occurred at a mining site in Queensland where the CFMEU was on strike, and there was this tirade of abuse, as the Leader of the House mentioned before, from CFMEU members to family members of workers that were working on this mine site. It was absolutely disgraceful, the language and the intimidation that took place. The police had warned the CFMEU members about this. But who do you think should turn up to provide moral support to the CFMEU? It was the godfather of the union movement in this country. We refer to him as the Leader of the Opposition in this place. The godfather of the union movement turned up to provide moral encouragement to the criminals within the CFMEU membership. They have provided $3 million from the CFMEU to the Labor Party since he was elected Leader of the Opposition. No wonder Australians look at this Leader of the Opposition and recognise that he does not have the moral fortitude to become Prime Minister of this country. It is clear that this man supports the criminals within the CFMEU—not one word against the conduct of those people. It just shows that the character of this Leader of the Opposition is absolutely lacking. (Time expired)