Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister outline to the House why it's important to take a consistent position on law enforcement and national security to keep Australians safe? Is the PM aware of any alternative approaches?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for his consistency, having served in uniform like many in this chamber. I thank them all for their service. Those who put themselves at the greatest risk need to have the confidence that the government that can send them into harm's way is consistent when it comes to the issues of law and order and national security.

Our government has always been consistent when it comes to these matters, whether it be on our borders, our investment in our defence forces and building up our defence capability, working with our partners and alliances, restoring the Quad or moving into the AUKUS arrangement, which is the single largest national security policy we have seen since ANZUS. It is important that you're consistent on these things and that you stand for what you believe in on these issues. I have always done so as a minister, as a backbencher, as a shadow minister, as a treasurer, as a social services minister and, indeed, as a prime minister.

But the Leader of the Labor Party, together with the Greens, cannot make that same claim. It was the Leader of the Labor Party who, together with the Labor Party, voted against the strengthening the character test bill, which allows serious criminals to avoid having their visas cancelled, and they have remained in this country. It was the Leader of the Labor Party who opposed our bill to crack down on child sex offenders, and this included a 25 per cent mandatory minimum for serious and recidivist offenders. He voted against it. On border protection they voted 77 times against measures to strengthen our borders. They voted 22 times—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance: the question didn't call for an absolute general spray, which is what we're getting now.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is referring to alternative approaches in relation to law enforcement and national security. The Prime Minister is in order and has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Labor Party supported cuts to the AFP, to the Australian Crime Commission and to AUSTRAC. They cut 700 staff out of customs and border protection. He called the Pacific Solution 'indecent and inhumane'. On 1 July 2012 he called Nauru 'essentially a bus stop on the way to Australia'. Who would trust him with protecting our borders, together with the Greens? He went to the national conference of the Labor Party and said, 'If people were in a boat, including families and children, I myself couldn't turn them around.' That's what he said about turnbacks. On what he said about mandatory detention at the national conference of the Labor Party: he personally moved a motion in the Left caucus endorsing a policy that would abolish mandatory detention, abolish temporary protection visas and restore Christmas Island to Australia's migration zone. We know what the Leader of the Labor Party's form is when it comes to national security and protecting our borders, and there are four letters that—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's time has expired.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll have to wait for next time!