Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank goodness for the happy campers—the new front line in our border protection. The headlines today say it all: ‘Security scramble after boat people reach Shark Bay’. You can almost see it. They are coming ashore and they say, ‘Excuse me, where can I moor my boat?’ and they are told, ‘Just go down the road.’ It is absolutely appalling that we are now at the point where we have to rely on campers who happen to be there as the front line of our border security. The reports in today’s Australian validate our grave concerns that the Rudd Labor government is sending the wrong message to the people smugglers.

Senator Johnston gave an outline of the seven arrivals. Why have we had seven arrivals since the Rudd government came to power? It has been very clear that people smugglers are back in business, and they are back in business because the Rudd government has softened its approach to border protection. In today’s Australian a number of comments were made, and one in particular summarises it well when it quotes former minister Philip Ruddock:

“I think it is well known that smugglers have been again looking at whether or not it is possible to reopen traffic,” …

He says that whilst he does not want to mention specifics:

“… it is well known that smugglers have been anxious to get into the business again and I think the evidence is that it is occurring.”

It is very clear that the people smugglers are now testing the waters. Under the coalition, the number of boat arrivals had trickled to just a few. Why? Because we were tough on border security and we were tough on illegal arrivals. The number of unlawful entrants had decreased from 12,000 in the 30 months to January 2002 down to 250 in the years since then. Labor cannot walk both sides of the fence. You cannot go out there and talk tough on border protection and, at the same time, give effect to a change in policy by weakening detention. By changing the policy regarding temporary entry visas and by closing detention areas, you have sent a very, very clear message to the people smugglers. At estimates, Senator Ellison talked about the questions that were put to the department. I want to take you to those, because it is very clear from the evidence that was given that the department are changing 26 programs ‘spanning across compliance work, detention work, our border security areas and our humanitarian programs’. If that is not a decisive shift in the way that you guys are doing business—