Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question. I advise the Senate as follows. As the Prime Minister said today in a press conference prior to question time: this government will never allow people who come here illegally by boat to obtain permanent residency in Australia. The message to people smugglers is clear: 'You should not come, because you will not stay'.

Just like the former Howard government, the Abbott government is the most potent weapon that we have against people smugglers. What this government has that the former government never had is resolve. Unlike those opposite, who were prepared to grant permanent visas to over 33,000 people who are in this community on bridging visas, sending a clear sign to people smugglers that Australia is open for that type of business, you will not see the Abbott government making that mistake.

Our resolve is clear; our commitment to the Australian people is clear, despite the very best efforts of those opposite. You can try as hard as you like, but you cannot deny the fact that this government is implementing policies that work. In relation to those who arrived illegally by boat under the former government and who have not yet been processed, the resolve of this government and our commitment to the Australian people is that they will not receive permanent visas.