John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the inspiring Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From wombat to doormat!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, there is nothing inspiring about you!

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on recent operations which demonstrate the government's commitment to securing Australia's borders against the import of illegal drugs?

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

I thank Senator Williams for his question. I can inform the Senate that on Friday 21 November 2014 a targeted consignment from Hamburg in Germany, which was marked as containing personal effects and furniture, was examined by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service in Sydney. A number of packages were opened and were found to contain approximately 849 kilos of methamphetamine and 1.9 tonnes of MDMA.

This seizure has an estimated street value of $1.5 billion. It contains sufficient drugs to produce 10 million street deals or tablets. It was the second-largest overall seizure in Australian history, and the largest-ever seizure of methamphetamine or ice. Six men were subsequently arrested on Saturday 29 November when they were found accessing the boxes.

This seizure commenced as a Customs intelligence operation. It is part of a wider body of exceptional work carried out by our front-line border personnel and law enforcement officers. Last financial year, border protection officers prevented around four tonnes of drugs and precursors from reaching Australian streets. We aim to stay one step ahead of the game. We know that those who seek to test our resolve will always seek out new methods of concealment.

The coalition government has brought the focus on border protection back to where it should be, and that is of course at the centre of government priorities. We are ensuring that this focus is backed with the increased resources and funding our agencies need to protect us from the scourge of organised crime. The men and women of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service are to be commended for the exceptional front-line work they do to keep our streets safe.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate why substantial reinvestment into front-line border services delivered by this government has been necessary?

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

Yes, I can. Reinvestment has been required because the former Rudd government, Gillard government and Rudd government actually ripped out $700 million from Customs and Border Protection. They literally ripped the guts out of our border protection agency.

As a result, they largely ignored criminality at our ports and airports for the majority of their time in office. After forming government, the coalition, however, has invested an additional $88 million in border screening through the Customs and Border Protection Service. The results now speak for themselves. This financial year, seizure rates at the border are increasing by number and by weight. For example, prior to the weekend's massive seizure, amphetamine and cocaine detection so far this year had already increased by 50 per cent in weight over the last financial year.

This is a government which actually has the resolve to deliver on its election commitments. (Time expired)

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate whether there will be any significant changes in front-line border services in 2015?

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

Those opposite would not know about reinvestment and the ability to implement significant positive changes, because they had in excess of an $11 billion budget blow-out because of the 50,000 people who arrived here illegally by boat.

Those of us on this side, however, have implemented policies which have effectively stopped the boats and, as a result of that, have saved the Australian taxpayer money, which has meant that we have been able to reinvest into what is one of the most important portfolios in this country.

The creation of the Australian Border Force in 2015 will bring together the collective energies of our Customs and immigration officials in a single compliance and investigation agency. This is because we face many challenges going forward. We understand that. Operation Sovereign Borders has clearly shown the way in terms of how to harness the collective energies of our border agencies to ensure that on this side we get the job done. (Time expired)