Andrew Wallace (Fisher, 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 vital work the Australian Border Force has undertaken with the Australian Federal Police to secure our borders and keep all Australians safe?

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

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

The member for McEwen is interjecting again. 'HIH!' he yells out. Why don't you practise the alphabet outside this place? He's stuck on H still! Give me a break. Take your routine outside.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection will resume his seat. Members on both sides!

Mr Sukkar interjecting—

The member for Deakin is now warned. I made it very clear for members who'd been warned earlier. The member for Deakin now joins them.

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

We're being asked about the resources of the Australian Border Force and the work they're doing with the Australian Federal Police. I'll tell you what the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force are not doing under this government. They aren't diverting resources to pull people off boats. They aren't diverting resources to pull bodies out of the water. They aren't diverting resources to lock up children in detention.

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

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

The minister will pause for a second. The member for McEwen will leave under 94(a).

The member for McEwen then left the chamber.

Mr Falinski interjecting—

The member for Mackellar is warned.

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

The work of the Australian Border Force is second to none, in my judgement, compared to any other border agency in the world. They are doing world-class work. Along with the Australian Federal Police, they were successful recently in a seizure of 3.9 tonnes of drug precursor—enough to manufacture up to $3.6 billion worth of methamphetamine. They're doing that because this government is putting more by way of resources into the ABF and into the Australian Federal Police.

Let me remind the House that, in actual fact, it was the Labor Party, in the great glory years of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, that ripped 700 staff and $735 million from the Customs agencies. What did it result in? Labor ripping that money out of the agencies didn't result in more raids or more interventions at the border. It meant that we saw a reduction in sea cargo screening and a 75 per cent reduction in air cargo screening. We've reversed that. In fact, in 2016-17, ABF officers made over 24,000 detections of major drugs, precursors and the like. By weight, approximately seven tonnes of major drugs and precursors were detected. By comparison, in 2012-13, under Labor, there were 13,000 detections compared to our 24,000 last year. Five tonnes were seized during that year of 2012-13.

When you hear the Labor Party protesting, they are protesting on behalf of union leader crooks around the country, because the reality is that Labor union leaders believe that they are above the law. It's demonstrated in courts around the country every single day. The reality is that the Australian Federal Police eventually catch up with crooks.