Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

The government cannot support Senator McKim's motion, which is just another example of the Greens abusing this chamber as a platform for cynical political stunts. Australians haven't forgotten what happened when Labor and the Greens weakened our borders. Fifty thousand people arrived on more than 800 boats. At least 1,200 lives were tragically lost at sea, and 8,000 children were detained. The Greens want to give the keys to our borders back to people smugglers, just like they did during the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd border disaster. The Morrison government will never return to the failed policies of those opposite. We will not adopt policies which will condemn vulnerable men, women and children to perilous sea voyages.