Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question—

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

The member for Boothby will pause. The member for Burt has a short memory. He will leave under 94(a).

The member for Burt then left the chamber.

Just so that things are procedurally in order, as you'd expect, I'm issuing a general warning, which means I can name someone now if they interject. It will be my choice. I call the member for Boothby.

Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister outline to the House the importance of the Morrison government's stable and certain approach to ensuring the safety of children? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Boothby for her question and, most importantly, for the work that she does in her electorate. She is very conscious, as all of us are, of ensuring that we protect children in our local communities. The government has made a very significant investment into the public policy space, into the police and into the work that's done by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and other agencies, to keep kids safe in this country, and, in particular, to try to keep them safe online. We have been able to do that, to invest $70 million in the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, because we have managed the budget well. This is an investment that, when the Labor Party was in power, they weren't able to make because they ran out of money. They stopped listing medicines and they took money out of our policing, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. That's what happened when they mismanaged the budget.

We've been able to manage the budget effectively over the last number of years. We have done that through a number of tough decisions, but we now pay a dividend back to the Australian community, and there is no more important priority than protecting Australian children.

In 2014, we strengthened the Migration Act. It was opposed by the Labor Party, to their shame. We have sought to make sure that we strengthen our laws so that we can cancel the visas of noncitizens—now 420 of them—for child exploitation and child sex offences. And we're proposing to strengthen the law further, which is opposed again by Labor. That's the reality. I point this out because there is a big difference between the Labor Party and the coalition when it comes to these very important issues.

Dr Freelander interjecting—

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

The member for Macarthur will leave under 94(a).

The member for Macarthur then left the chamber.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have also introduced into the parliament the Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, which goes to providing more strength and support to policing agencies to make sure that we can keep Australian children safe. We want to invest more into this area and we are putting more money into the Australian Federal Police and other agencies, but we can do that only if we manage the economy well—if we manage the budget well; if we make sure that we can put this investment into areas of priority for the Australian public. The fact is that when Labor lost control of their budget they lost control of their ability to invest in important areas.

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

The minister will resume his seat—the minister has now indicated that he has concluded his answer. The Leader of the Opposition is seeking the call, on indulgence.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—The issue of child sexual exploitation should not be politicised. It should be an issue which all of us, surely, agree on. Surely the minister can give an answer to a dixer without trying to politicise such an issue.

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

The Leader of the Opposition has had a brief indulgence.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Own your own failings! You wonder why you're under pressure!

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

The minister will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Hang on; I'll call you in a second. Can the member for Moncrieff resume her seat, and the member for Cowan resume her seat. The Leader of the Opposition takes precedence, as do other party leaders and deputies.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I make this point: today is the anniversary of the apology based upon the royal commission. We'll be speaking on it this afternoon, and we shouldn't have that sort of behaviour across the chamber.

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

No; the Leader of the Opposition, in seeking the call, indicated that he wanted a remark withdrawn.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, he should withdraw the suggestion that somehow these issues are partisan issues. They are not.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The call is going to alternate to the opposition side, as a matter of course. I just say to the Leader of the Opposition: given his position, of course, indulgences are granted. Under the Practice, only directly offensive remarks or unparliamentary remarks are required to be withdrawn. I think I've been fair in letting each side have their say, and I think the best thing to do is call the member for Cowan, who was seeking the call.