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

Yes, I can. When you lose control of your borders, there are a number of things that happen. One of them is that you have cost blow-outs: almost $12 billion directly because of the failed border protection policies of those on the other side. In stopping the boats, what have we achieved? In the 2015-16 budget alone, we have been able to deliver savings measures of in excess of half a billion dollars. Because we have stopped the flood of illegal arrivals, we have also been able to close many of the 17 additional detention centres that were opened by Labor because they could not stop the flow of boats arriving. These savings alone will contribute $326 million back to the Australian people over the coming years. And when you stop the boats, you stop the charter flights flying to Christmas Island—another dividend, in terms of providing savings, of approximately $66 million dollars. (Time expired)