Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition too supports this motion. What occurred off the coast of Christmas Island on 15 December 2010 was a human tragedy. However, as we reflect on the loss of life it is also incumbent upon us as legislators to ask why it occurred and what these people actually died for. Unfortunately, we do know what the answer to that question is. They died for a shipwrecked promise sold by people smugglers. On that point we need to be very clear. The people who sent these poor souls to their death were criminal people smugglers and we should be doing what is within our power to end this evil trade.

SIEV221 was the 200th boat to arrive in Australian waters after the Labor government, under the guise of compassion, began unravelling the tough border protection measures it inherited from the previous government in August 2008. When Labor came to government only four unauthorised boat people were in detention and there had been only 10 boats in six years. There are now more than 7,000 people from unlawful boat arrivals in Australia’s overstretched and unsustainable detention network and more than 1,000 children are included in that number. As well as those who died on SIEV221, there have been well-founded reports of a further 170 deaths of people trying to reach Australia over the open sea since August 2008.

People smugglers must be denied a product to sell, which will stop people from getting on the boats. Until the government admits to its failures, we will continue to count the costs. We mourn those who perished that fateful day and we are ever thankful that lives were saved. Our greatest hope is that we do not have to stand here in this place to mourn again.

Question agreed to.