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

It is no secret that the key areas in the customs space have been neglected over the period of the last six years. Over $700 million was ripped out from the Customs and Border Protection portfolio under the former Labor government, and this government is putting that funding back. The creation of the Australian Border Force will achieve budget savings by managing both Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and some functions of the department. We are reinvesting those savings back into the front-line operations of the agency.

In a fiscal environment like the one which we have inherited that is how you get additional resources to the front line. You do so by having more efficient agencies. The establishment of the Australian Border Force will better equip the portfolio to deal with the integrity challenges, resulting in clearer lines of accountability and improved resourcing. The funding, resources and policies the government is rolling out are all going towards making Australia safe. (Time expired)