Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for that question. The government is not, and will not, be distracted by the passage of this bill from our duty and responsibility to protect Australians. Our Liberal-Nationals government will continue to work hard to protect the integrity of our borders and our national security, as we have done every single day for the last 5½ years. Earlier today the Prime Minister convened a meeting of our National Security Committee to take the decisions that were necessary following on from the contingency planning that the government had been putting in place over the last couple of weeks.

We have not taken the risks associated with the passage of this amendment Home Affairs bill lightly. We have been preparing very carefully for this eventuality. The government have decided to put in place a range of strengthening arrangements in order to ensure that Operation Sovereign Borders and our operations continue to be successful in preventing the illegal boat arrivals here in Australia that occurred over the six years of the previous Labor government. All of the actions and decisions that we as a government are taking are implementing the recommendations made to the government by our relevant national security agencies and officials present at our National Security Committee meeting this morning. We are adopting all of the recommendations they have put to us based on their advice in response to the decisions that have been taken in the Australian parliament. We are making sure that the Australian Border Force and the other agencies central to the successful execution and operation of Operation Sovereign Borders remain appropriately supported. Everything they are asking for they are getting. That has involved a strengthening of the capacity of Operation Sovereign Borders across a whole range of fronts. The Prime Minister has also made a series of other announcements which I can address in the next question.