George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, as you know, the government does not comment on operational or on on-water matters. But what we can comment on, what tells the story in words more eloquent than yours or mine is the outcome, is that we have stopped this trade—50,000 people in five years; most of them, by the way, women and children undertaking this hazardous journey involuntarily; more than 1,200 lives lost as a result of policies which failed; as a result of policies, by the way, which those who were their authors now acknowledge failed because the Labor Party, in opposition, have now moved closer to the government's position, a position we called for for many long years. So we will not, on this side of the chamber, be going back to the failed policies that saw thousands of children in detention and hundreds upon hundreds of lives lost. (Time expired)