Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I believe exactly what I am saying, because I know that the Australian people rejected your policies on border protection. They turned to Labor. Just like in the current economic crisis, just like with Work Choices, the Australian people know that the only government in Australia that is going to be serious about border protection is the Australian Labor government. We saw that during the Second World War. Who did the Australian people turn to to protect our borders during the Second World War? They turned to Labor. When there is a serious issue confronting the Australian people, they turn to the Australian Labor Party. It is abundantly clear that there is a continuing and constant activity from people smugglers in our region. That is not a problem that has occurred overnight. It has been there for a long time, and we are doing something about it.

As we know, five boats arrived last year with 148 people on board. There were six the previous year with 60 people on board. Under the previous government—your government—there were more arrivals in each of the last two years than there have been this year to date. It is important to remember that people smuggling is an ongoing issue in the region. It has been an issue for many years and it is going to continue to be an issue into the future.