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

Two years ago, when the now Prime Minister politically executed the man now known as the former Prime Minister, she stated as one of the reasons for the political execution that the Labor Party had 'lost its way', and in losing its way the now Prime Minister Ms Gillard promised the Australian people three things. She would fix three major issues, one of those issues being the flood of unlawful boat arrivals. Given that, since the former Prime Minister's political execution, under Ms Gillard's leadership 196 boats carrying 12,877 people have arrived and total immigration costs have blown out to in excess of $1.1 billion, it can hardly be claimed by those on the other side that Ms Gillard has achieved her stated promise.

It is now clearer than ever that it is not the opposition's policies that do not work; it is Julia Gillard's policies that have failed to protect Australia's borders. The reality for those on the other side, the current government, is that if they cannot protect Australia's borders, if they continue to fail in this regard, then they must responsibly plan for more boats to arrive. The Labor Party itself—not just its failed policies—is now the pull factor, when it comes to people arriving in Australia by boat. "Brand Labor" internationally now tells people smugglers that Australia's doors are open and that when you get here you are all but guaranteed permanent residency.

As the shadow minister for immigration, Scott Morrison, stated in an opinion piece in the Australian newspaper today:

For bipartisanship to be effective it must be real and deliver good policy. A contrived, lowest-common denominator outcome would cheat the Australian public but, worse, it wouldn't stop the boats or end these tragedies. The path forward is for the government to make decisions. If the government wishes to reopen Nauru, it should just do it. It should equally move on all the other measures we have proposed that it has consistently rejected and abolished.

When it comes to border protection, the coalition does not believe in compromise for the sake of compromise. We believe in and are committed to effective and proven policies that have been shown to work. We have not changed our stand on our policies. We support temporary protection visas, we support the re-opening Nauru and we support turning back the boats when it is safe to do so. These policies stopped the boats before and they will, when reintroduced, stop the boats again. Temporary protection visas mean that when people arrive in Australia unlawfully they will receive temporary protection only. Labor's policies, on the other hand, mean that people who arrive here unlawfully, regardless of what they have done—for example, Captain Emad, who has been shown to be a people smuggler—they will get permanent protection.

The facts show clearly that Ms Gillard is unable to stop the boats. It is not just Labor's failed policies that are the problem; it is the Labor Party itself. Labor has become the pull factor for people to get on a boat to come to Australia, to the extent that it is highly doubtful that the government could ever successfully implement any measures that would deter boats. It is more and more the case that only a change of government, not a change of Labor leader, will lead to a change in policy.

The government continues to seek to blame the opposition for its border protection failures, because we are opposed to the Malaysian people swap deal. The first point I make in this regard is that the coalition is not the only party that is opposed to the Malaysian people swap. The Left of the Labor Party is opposed to Labor's own Malaysian people swap deal. Senator Doug Cameron is on the record as stating that the Left of the Labor Party is opposed to its own policy. We heard Senator Milne today, in motions to take note of answers, say that the Greens are opposed to their alliance partner's Malaysian swap deal. And the coalition is on the record as opposing this bad policy. We oppose the Malaysian people swap deal, because it is a bad deal for Australia and a cruel deal for asylum seekers. Removing from the Migration Act human rights protections for people processed offshore, as proposed by the government, is not, and never will be, supported by the coalition. In any event, let us not forget that the Malaysian people swap deal has been proven not to work. How? Because since the deal was announced, we have seen 7,986 people arrive on 112 boats. The Malaysian people-swap deal was good for just 800 people. 'Bring on No. 801' is what the people smugglers would have been saying.

The reality for those opposite is this: they have never, ever wanted to stop the boats. The Labor Party always wanted to embrace the Greens policy of onshore processing and that is exactly what they have done. If the Labor Party wanted offshore processing, they could have reopened Nauru six months ago. In fact, if the Labor Party want offshore processing, we have committed to reopening Nauru tomorrow. However, what have the Labor Party done when it comes to Nauru? They have trashed Nauru at every possible opportunity. As further evidence that the Labor Party have never, ever wanted offshore processing the Rudd-Gillard governments have never processed a single boat arrival offshore. And, in December last year, the Gillard government finally ruled out reintroducing temporary protection visas.

The coalition is on the record as stating that it is prepared to give the government support for any of the 148 countries who have signed the United Nations Refugee Convention. However, just like the Left of the Labor Party, just like the government's alliance partner the Greens, the coalition will not allow the government to create an offshore dumping ground where people are potentially caned and have no protections. That is bad policy and the coalition will not support bad policy.

When you look at the latest budget figures and at the immigration portfolio you will see that this is yet another example of where Labor have completely failed to get this policy right. You see complete fiscal ineptitude. Labor's 2011-12 $1 billion budget for asylum seekers was based on just 750 boat arrivals. Yes, that is right—just 750 arrivals. That was slightly ambitious, to say the least. Why do we say that? Because, as a direct result of Labor winding back the Howard government's proven border protection policies, more than 19,429 people have arrived on 336 boats. And, since 21 August 2010, federal polling day, 181 boats have arrived carrying 12,080 people. Yet the budget for this financial year budgeted for only 750 people. How wrong they were.

Policy failure, denial, inconsistency and inaction have rendered the current Labor government impotent. This government lacks the credibility that is now needed to put the substance and resolve behind measures that make them a real deterrent and the people smugglers know it. The time for talking is over. The government does not have the option of continuing to do nothing and blaming the opposition. This is not a policy; it is merely an excuse. If we must wait until an election to end this madness, then at least take action now to mitigate the increased risk of loss of life and the continued compromise of our refugee and humanitarian program— (Time expired)