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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I remind the minister that as of yesterday there had been 101 illegal boats arrive this financial year alone, carrying 6,436 asylum seekers compared to an average of just 45 people per year over six years under the proven policies of the former Howard government. Given that, by this rationale, we have had more than 50 years of Howard government boat arrivals arrive in September 2012 alone under Labor, can the minister explain why the government abolished the Howard government's policy of offshore processing only to ultimately re-adopt it? (Time expired)