Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. Can the minister please inform the Senate how long it has been since the last successful people-smuggling venture to Australia?

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

I thank Senator Bernardi for the question and obviously note his longstanding commitment to protecting Australia's borders. I am pleased to inform the Senate that today marks exactly six months since the last successful people-smuggling venture to Australia by boat. That translates to 26 weeks or 182 days.

By way of comparison, in one month alone last year—July 2013—4,077 people arrived on 46 boats. On this very day in June last year, in June 2013, 139 people arrived on three boats. In fact, on 24 July 2013, in just one day, 508 people arrived on six boats. I confirm for the Senate that today marks six months under the Abbott government's strong border protection policies since there has been a successful people-smuggling venture to Australia.

But there were some who were sceptical, despite the success of the Howard government, that our policies would work. They said it couldn't be done. In fact, Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, said it couldn't be done. What did he say?

There is no doubt in my mind that the Coalition's boat-person policy is just absolutely not working.

What did shadow minister Richard Marles have to say:

Turning back the boats was always a furphy.

…   …   …   

…resolve on the part of this government … is completely shot to pieces…

Mr President, I say to you and I say to senators: the only thing that is shot to pieces is those and their opinion on the other side. It is six months today under the Abbott government's strong border protection policies since there was a successful people-smuggling venture to Australia.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister. Could she explain to the Senate how Operation Sovereign Borders has delivered this impressive result and why is it important to continue to send a strong message to people smugglers?

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

The message to people smugglers under the Abbott government could not be clearer: Australia is not open for your vile trade; Australia is not open for your vile business. It is quite simple that stopping the boats has also saved people's lives. The great human tragedy of the policies of the former government, that were so vocally supported by Senator Hanson-Young and the Australian Greens, was that 1,000 people were confirmed to have died at sea. That is the tragic result of what occurs when you lose control of Australia's borders. I think the men and women of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service who to a sensational job under this government now in patrolling our borders. (Time expired)

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister update the Senate on the last time such a long period of time passed between illegal boat arrivals and what this milestone actually means for the thousands of asylum seekers languishing in refugee camps around the world who actually have applied for asylum in Australia?

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

It was actually, as Senator Cormann has stated, many years ago since Australia undertook a period of six months since a arrived in Australia. It was, however, 2007 and it was under the former Labor government. But, guess what? It was when the former Howard government's policies were in place. Who remembers what happened in August 2008, under former minister for immigration Chris Evans, when he stated that the proudest moment of his political career was when he dismantled the Howard government's strong border protection policies. We now know what the result of that was—in excess of 50,000 people arrived under the former government; 1,000 people confirmed dead at sea; thousands of children behind bars; and a cost to the Australian taxpayer of in excess of $11.5 billion.