Scott Morrison : All Content Updates

Media Release : Cook Budget Report

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Please click on the link below to read my 2012 Budget Report newsletter

Media Release : Another boat arrives as failed asylum seekers double dip under Labor

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with 68 people on board, comes on the same day as official revelations that asylum seekers are double dipping under Labor’s soft policies after being rejected by the Howard Government, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The Ombudsman reports reveal case after case of people who arrived on illegal boats and were returned under the Howard Government, coming back on illegal boats under Labor’s soft border protection policies for a double dip,” Mr Morrison said.

“Labor has no idea of how widespread this double dipping practice is, as Departmental advice admits that four out five people arriving on illegal boats have no documentation,” he said.

“Some of those coming back for a second attempt previously held temporary protection visas and went home after their refugee claims were no longer valid. Now that the Gillard Government is offering permanent visas, denied by the Howard Government, they have returned.

“Labor just doesn’t understand that if you leave the door open on our border, then people will understandably seek to walk through it and take advantage.

“Over 800 people have arrived on illegal boats in less than two weeks and over 6,000 this financial year, blowing out the government’s estimate of 450 people arriving every month under their let them in let them out policy and granny flat solution.

“There is nothing happening on our borders that an election won’t fix. Minister Bowen and Labor have given up on border protection and only the Coalition will restore the policies necessary to stop the boats,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The interception of the sixth vessel in the last week is a clear sign of the unrelenting wave of illegal boat arrivals that will continue to take advantage of Labor’s catastrophic bungling of Australia’s border protection policies.

“To say we have a crisis at our borders is an understatement as over 20 times more people have arrived illegally by boat this year alone then in the last six years of the Howard Government.

“Labor has made it so easy for people to enter our country illegally on boats, that many asylum seekers are trying their luck more than once – not only placing their lives in danger but lining the pockets of the people smugglers at the same time.

“Unless the Gillard Government embraces the proven policies of the previous Howard Government then an election and a Coalition Government is the only solution to the crisis facing Australia’s borders,” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Friday 18th May 2012

SUBJECT: Double dipping by illegal boat arrivals

E and OE

HADLEY:
The Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison joins me on line. Scott, g’day.
MORRISON:
G’day Ray.

HADLEY:
This just beggars belief, this story on the front page of the Daily Telegraph today, you just can’t believe it.

MORRISON:
Well it does but it is true. When we went trawling through the Ombudsman’s reports as we trawl through many things, we discovered these cases where people who had been rejected by John Howard have been accepted by Julia Gillard with an invitation through her soft policies. Where they got temporary protection visas before and then they had to go home after they finished – now they’re coming back for permanent visas and the vast majority of the cases we’re talking about here Ray are people whose claims have been rejected so we’re not talking about refugees, we’re talking about people who have had bogus claims and we’ve got people waiting all around the world with genuine claims, serious claims, that we can help and we’re spending literally hundreds of thousands on individual cases like this that have no merit.

HADLEY:
Take me through some of these double-dippers as they’re described – I’ve got a number of cases in front of me that I’ve detailed already from the Telegraph but there’s one referred to as Case 66711 - a 56-year-old. It’s bizarre – arriving here illegally in January 2001 under a certain name, applies for a TPV – a temporary protection visa – refused in October of 2001, both reviews are rejected; a judicial review and a merits review. Then he requests to be taken home voluntarily from Australia and goes back in December of 2003. Then he’s back here again in April 2010.

MORRISON:
That’s right and right now on Chris Bowen’s desk is a suggestion that he should be part of the granny flat solution and should be given a bridging visa.

HADLEY:
Stop, it’s a gee-up.

MORRISON:
No I’m fair dinkum, that’s the response that the Minister gave to that particular case.

HADLEY:
Is this the same fellow who was in a voluntary starvation mode in April of last year?

MORRISON:
That’s correct.

HADLEY:
And is the same bloke who went to the Optometrist and got glasses in September of last year and then the Ombudsman recommends a Bridging Visa or community detention – the granny flats?

MORRISON:
That’s right.

HADLEY:
So what’s Bowen saying?

MORRISON:
Well we haven’t seen what his response is yet but they’re going to be releasing thousands of people under this program over the next twelve months and as you know, whether it’s granny flats or the bed and breakfast solution or whatever you want to call it, that’s the caseload that is going to the Bridging Visa program. It’s people who have had their claims rejected and are going through an appeals process and the tragedy about all of this is, as I said before, is that you’ve got thousands of people who are missing out who are applying offshore and some of these people have applied offshore and were rejected. So they were rejected when they tried to make the front door claim and they went oh well, buggar that, we’ll get on a boat and come. And under this policy he can.

HADLEY:
OK next one. 39-year-old came here illegally, 17th December 2000 under the previous government. Applies for a TPV – temporary protection visa refused. It’s again refused when he appeals. The Federal Court dismissed an application for further review, the Minister then declined to consider intervening. So off he goes – he goes voluntarily back home. Then he’s back here in June of 2010 illegally again. The claim is rejected but then he goes to an independent Merits Review for the application and was found to be owed protection so we’ve had a Federal Court, we’ve had a Minister, we’ve had various government departments saying ten years ago no and now I find out he’s granted a protection visa November last year, he’s out of detention now, he’s released in November last year so he gets the visa on the 9th, he’s out on the 10th, he’s got a wife and four children living somewhere else.

MORRISON:
Well I imagine there’ll be family application that will follow and it’s one of those cases where under a previous assessment by the Howard government these claims were rejected and under this government the claims have been accepted. There’s another one here who’s someone who had his offshore claim after coming here once before by boat in 1999, they were granted a temporary protection visa, he eventually went back and then he came – sought to make an offshore application to come to Australia. That was rejected on election day 2007. But he decided to test his arm with the new government and that’s another one that’s on Chris Bowen’s desk deciding whether he gets a bridging visa because he still hasn’t had his claim accepted.

HADLEY:
Here’s another bizarre one. A 47-year-old man, two children, one of whom came with him, arrived illegally 4th June 2001, made no application upon arrival before being involuntarily removed from Australia, August of 2001, returned illegally October 2009 with a son this time, applied for refugee status – refused. Had two independent reviews, one following a High Court ruling on procedural fairness, both were refused. Sought judicial review in the Magistrate’s Court and that was refused October last year. Now the Department undertaking steps to remove the man but the Minister remarkably Chris Bowen who wants to blame you and Tony Abbott for all the problems intervenes on 9 November last year and puts the man and the kid in community detention. Bowen’s response? The man was placed in community detention, 16th November. No reason. So he’s been knocked back, even after the High Court ruling on procedural fairness, he’s knocked back by the government, by the Department, he has two independent reviews – no. He goes to the Federal Magistrate’s court – no.

MORRISON:
I mean this is what happens when you’ve got a government that is in denial about the status of their failed policies and they won’t just come to terms with that. What we need is – I mean there’s nothing going wrong on our borders that - and I’ve said this many times - there’s nothing going wrong on our borders that an election can’t fix and that’s clearly our position. We just want to get back to the policies that worked and then we wouldn’t be having these conversations but this morning Chris Bowen, I heard him on the radio saying this is just 11 cases out of 43 million displaced people around the world. Well that’s just bunkum. Chris Bowen has no idea how many of these double-dipping cases are in the system. And if he thinks there’s just eleven, I challenge him on your program to come on your program and tell you that he knows how many double-dipping cases there are because he has no idea and to suggest this is just an isolated incident is just furthering the pattern of denial that we’ve seen from this Minister.

HADLEY:
Let me assure you it’s only one of the things he’s got no idea about. There are many more that he has no idea about. In general.

MORRISON:
Well I would agree and in particular on this issue of the granny flat plan, I mean this is just another example of not thinking through policy as we’ve seen so many other times but people will try their arm and look I don’t in some respects blame people who want to have a better life to come and have a crack. I wish they wouldn’t, I wish they’d apply through the proper processes because that’s what we expect as Australians but my argument is not with them, my argument is with the government who just wants to look the other way, blame everyone else for their own problems and do nothing about it other than just give in to the Greens.

HADLEY:
Thanks for your time, Scott Morrison.

MORRISON:
Thanks Ray.

HADLEY:
Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on the line.

Ends

Media Release : Over 3,000 arrivals this year as Labor tries to hide from boat failure

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 63 people on board, means more than 3,000 people have arrived so far this year as Minister Bowen refuses to come clean on the cost and extent of the border crisis now hitting Australian suburbs, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Despite over 1,700 people arriving since Minister Bowen last released figures on illegal boat arrivals, he refuses to tell the Australian people how many boat arrivals are now in detention and how many have been released into the community on bridging visas,” Mr Morrison said.

“The government’s March update showed there was a record 7,000 illegal boat arrivals either in the detention network including community detention or out in the community on bridging visas,” he said.

“Minister Bowen should immediately tell the Australian people how many illegal boat arrivals are now being housed in detention including on Christmas Island which has turned into a transit lounge for boat arrivals and how many have been granted bridging visas and are being supported by Australian taxpayers in the community.

“Unfortunately Australia has an Immigration Minister who has given up on border protection but that doesn’t mean he can hide from accountability for his government’s failure,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The interception of this vessel by the Australian Federal Police so close to Cocos Island raises important questions about the circumstances of the latest illegal arrival.

“The AFP does not have a significant maritime capability beyond very small vessels that are not designed or capable of performing this type of interception.

“With 5 illegal arrivals in the last week and over 3000 people this year, it is clearly impossible for Border Protection Command to intercept vessels before they come so close to Australian territory.

“Severe budgets cuts by the Labor Party continue to make this difficult situation much worse.

“The Government must clarify what has actually happened last night and why the AFP have been placed in this situation.

“Specifically they must inform the Australian people -

• What type of vessel was used?

• Why was the AFP forced to undertake this task and not Border Protection Command?

• What risk assessment has been done for illegal arrivals coming to Cocos Island – both for Australian officers and the asylum seekers?

• How was it possible for an illegal arrival to essentially bump into Australian territory before being detected?

“Labor’s self induced border protection crisis has created huge difficulties for the AFP and Customs and Labor’s contemptuous budget and personnel cuts have added to the degree of difficulty.

“But illegal arrivals bumping into Australian territory where an overstretched Border Protection Command appears to have no presence is a dangerous new development,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : People smugglers product running off the shelves as another boat arrives

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with over 120 people on board, means more than 670 people have arrived in just two weeks in continued response to Labor’s soft border policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Fifty boats and over 4,000 people have now arrived since Labor capitulated to the Greens and introduced community release, including bridging visas, for asylum seekers in late November last year. More than 1,500 people are now able to directly access our courts through the refugee review tribunal after further changes were introduced in March,” Mr Morrison said.

“Labor’s let them in, let them out policy has supercharged the people smugglers product, and the product is running off the shelves. We are on track again for another record month and another record year as Julia Gillard’s soft policies on our borders make a bad situation even worse,” he said.

“There is nothing happening on our borders that an election cannot fix.

“Over 670 people in just two weeks means monthly arrivals continue to eclipse the 450 the Government forecast for their budget under their community release policy. Labor’s budget on boats is blown before the ink is even dry.

“With no policy except a lame excuse to blame the Opposition, a fresh $1.7 billion blow out on asylum seekers in the budget and people smugglers sending record numbers of people by boat, Labor has simply given up protecting our borders and given in to the Greens,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The arrival of the latest boat, carrying 121 passengers and 2 crew, has proven that the people smugglers are celebrating Labor’s latest Budget attacks on our Border Protection Command.

“It is hard to fathom how the Gillard Government can justify taking an axe to the already overstretched and under resourced Border Protection Agencies given the crisis Labor has created at our borders – stripping a further $25 million and 190 staff from Customs alone.

“It is foolish for the Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare, to even suggest that these drastic cuts don’t severely hinder the ability of Customs to do its job.

“The most fundamental job of the Commonwealth is to protect our borders and secure the nation - a job which this Labor Government has failed to do,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Labor's budget week of boats

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 84 people on board, is the sixth to arrive since Sunday meaning more than 550 people have arrived during budget week, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“As illegal boats continue to arrive at record levels, Labor remains resigned to giving up and giving in to the Greens’ soft border policies, refusing to restore the policies that worked,” Mr Morrison said.

“Nauru could be reopened, temporary protection visas reintroduced and boats turned around where it was safe to do so without one change to legislation,” he said.

“The only thing standing in the way of Labor reintroducing proven policies to stop the boats is their stubborn pride, and unwillingness to let go of their failed, rejected and illegal five for one Malaysian people swap.

“Labor would rather continue their pathetic attempts to blame the Coalition for what Australians know are Labor’s own failures than restore the policies that worked.

“It is clear that the only way the Coalition's proven measures can be restored is by having an election,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is once again under pressure with the arrival of another boat, despite Labor taking an axe to their funding and resources in the recent Budget.

“Since they came to power Labor has made it crystal clear that they place no priority on border protection and national security – instead they have slashed 750 jobs and $264.5 million in funding from Customs.

“It is no wonder that this Government has left our country without any semblance of a border protection policy when they systematically target our frontline border protection agencies.

“The Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare, has failed to get results for the border protection agencies for which he is responsible,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Another boat as Labor's boat budget under severe pressure

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the fifth boat this week, with 101 people on board, will put further pressure on the Gillard Government’s spending on illegal boat arrivals just three days after the budget was handed down, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The federal budget is just three days old but already it’s under severe pressure as more boats and more people arrive illegally under Labor’s failed border protection policies,” Mr Morrison said.

“This latest boat means more than 10,000 people have arrived by illegal boat since the election. Julia Gillard promised to ‘smash’ people smugglers but because of her ineptitude and capitulation to the Greens on community release, she is setting new records for boat arrivals,” he said.

“The government based its budget on 450 people arriving a month by illegal boat but just 11 days into May more than 470 people have arrived. This follows almost 1,000 people arriving in April and 887 people who arrived in February.

“This year is currently trending as the biggest ever for boat arrivals as Julia Gillard sets new standards for border protection failure. This financial year is already the largest on record with over 5,800 people arriving, with seven weeks still to go.

“Rather than using the budget to announce it would reinstate the Coalition’s proven border protection policies to stop the boats and get Labor’s wasteful spending on our borders under control, the government ran away from having a vote on their failed Malaysia Solution when they refused to bring on a vote on Rob Oakeshott’s proxy Malaysia bill.

“Just like they can see through the Prime Minister’s attempts to divide them with class warfare, Australians can see through the Prime Minister’s lame excuses on border protection. Blaming the Opposition isn’t a policy and so long as Ms Gillard continues this charade more boats and more budget blow outs will be the inevitable result,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Another boat arrival, another indication that Labor’s Budget did nothing to combat the people smuggling business model that is currently profiting from the Gillard Government’s inaction on border protection.

“When you rip $25.9 million in funding and 190 personnel out of our frontline border protection agency you send a clear message to the people smugglers that Australia’s borders are open for business.

“These latest cuts have consequently made Australia’s porous borders even more susceptible to smuggling people, guns, drugs and other contraband.

“It is impossible for Customs to effectively do their job and protect our borders when Labor continues to take an axe to their resources and funding,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Budget boat comes as Labor run away from another Malaysia vote

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with 60 people on board, comes on top of a fresh $1.7 billion blow out on illegal boat arrivals in the budget and the same day Labor has again run away from a vote on their failed Malaysia people swap legislation, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Over 150 boats and almost 10,000 people have arrived since the last election when Julia Gillard promised to smash the people smugglers business model but instead super charged it with her new ‘let them in, let them out’ and ‘granny flat solution’ policies,” Mr Morrison said.

“Just as they did last year, Labor have again today run away from their failed Malaysian people swap by refusing to bring on a vote on Rob Oakeshott’s proxy Malaysia bill, which is a carbon copy of Labor’s legislation,” he said.

“A year ago, Labor proudly boasted as they announced their ill conceived five for one Malaysian people swap. A year later, they are not even prepared to vote for it in the Parliament.

“This week’s budget saw a latest border protection blow out from Labor of $1.7 billion, including an increase of $424 million for 2012/13 on last year’s budget figures, that will cost taxpayers an extra $1.1 million per day.

“The $1.7 billion blow out since last year’s budget comes as illegal boats continue to arrive at record levels and a record number of more than 7,000 asylum seekers are in detention or in the community.

“This latest arrival, the latest budget blow outs and the failure to yet again bring on a vote on their Malaysia people swap is more confirmation that every day the record of Labor’s failure just gets bigger,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Another boat arrives just as Labor have made more damaging cuts to Customs and Border Protection in their latest budget.

“The latest budget cuts a further $25.9 million from Customs’ budget and another 190 personal. This is on top of significant cuts that have been made in previous budgets.

“Since Labor came to office they have cut 750 jobs from Customs and at least $65 million in funding which has left our frontline border protection agencies in a dire state and made it near impossible for them to adequately protect Australia’s borders.

“Labor has systematically targeted Customs since coming to office and the agency faces a significant crisis. Customs cannot do their job of protecting Australia’s borders in the face of these drastic cutbacks.

“People smugglers and criminals must wonder why Labor is so intent on making their jobs easier,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Labor stall another vote on Malaysian people swap in the Parliament

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Government has once again stalled a vote in the Parliament on attempts to legalise their failed Malaysian people swap, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“The Government has once again failed to have its Malaysian people swap tested in the Parliament, by failing to list for a vote today the proxy Bill introduced by Rob Oakeshott to legalise the scheme, that was struck down by the High Court last August,” Mr Morrison said.

“After voting against having a vote on their own Bill to legalise their failed Malaysian people swap, Labor have now failed to schedule a vote today on the proxy Bill brought by Rob Oakeshott to do the same thing,” he said.

“A year ago, Labor was proudly boasting as they announced their ill conceived five for one Malaysian people swap. A year later, they are not even prepared to vote for it in the Parliament.

“It is the normal practice for Private Members Bills to be scheduled for a vote in the next sitting week after they have been debated in the Parliament. Mr Oakeshott’s Bill was debated on March 19. In the ordinary course of events, the Bill would have been voted on today. The Government has not scheduled the Bill for a vote today, nor has such a vote been requested by Mr Oakeshott, who has orphaned his Bill by also walking away from a vote today.

“The Government constantly lectures the Coalition on how urgent this matter is, yet they refuse to put the matter to the Parliament.

“This latest delay is further proof that the only purpose served by Labor clinging to their failed Malaysian people swap, is to create a bogus excuse to blame the Opposition for their own continued failures.

“A further defeat of the Government’s Malaysian People Swap in the Parliament, already condemned by motions of both Houses as well as being struck down by the High Court for its failure to protect human rights, would add even more pressure on the Government to face the reality of yet another failure and restore the polices that worked under the Howard Government.

“Despite the fact that arrivals are now at record levels and the Government’s border failures have blown out by $4.7 billion, the Government still does not consider it urgent to bring on a vote on their failed Malaysian people swap.

“Instead Labor have given up on border protection, and given in to the Greens, embracing their let them in let them out policies, including it’s latest incarnation – ‘the Granny Flat Solution’ - that is drawing people to Australia on illegal boats at record levels,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Alan Jones

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Alan Jones

Thursday 10th May 2012

Subjects: Another Labor budget delivers another blow out of $1.7 billion for taxpayers on illegal boats; Craig Thomson; Julia Gillard‘s class warfare

EandOE

ALAN JONES

Scott Morrison’s on the line. Scott Morrison, good morning.

MORRISON

Good morning Alan.

ALAN JONES

Well the asylum seeker crisis was lost in the detail of the budget was it not? It won’t be lost on the electorate.

MORRISON

Well that’s right. I mean, once again we see another Labor budget and another big blow-out on boats. I mean the blow out in just the last 12 months was $1.7 billion. I mean that’s bigger than what they’re saying the surplus is going to be next year and next year its going to cost taxpayers $1.1 billion in one year. That’s up over $400 million on what they said a year ago. Just put this in perspective; next year Australians are going to pay $1.1 million extra every single day as a result of the blow-out in next year’s budget on boats.

We have the highest number of people arriving on illegal boats on record. 5,646 have turned up this year alone and the year’s not over yet and the department forecast there’d be 5,645. Well they passed that mark on Monday, when more people turned up in 24 hours than in the last six years of the Howard Government. So this is an absolute mess of their own making and they will do nothing other than capitulate to The Greens in addressing it.

ALAN JONES

Just come back to the $1.7 billion because we’ve got to say these stats slowly because they’re hard to digest.

The blow-out for the costs of managing asylum seekers arriving on illegal boats over the last 12 months – the blow-outs – looking at what my businessmen said to me, “lets have a look at the variation”- so the variation on the budget of last year is $1.7 billion, that’s $4.7 million a day.

MORRISON

That’s how it’s blown-out over the last 12 months and next year, specifically, every single day that means you’ll be shelling out $1.1 million extra, every single day next year. I mean just imagine where that money could be better used, rather than just propping up yet another failure.

I mean, we’ve gone through more failures in this area, and I think you’re right to say this is a metaphor of the government more broadly. We’ve got the East Timor farce, we’ve got the asylum freeze disaster, we’ve got the Malaysian failure and now we’ve got the ‘granny flat solution’…

ALAN JONES

…mmm..I’ll come to that in a moment…

MORRISON

…courtesy of The Greens. I mean this is why the boats keep coming, because the Government keeps softening policy and that’s why the budget keeps blowing out.

ALAN JONES

But just highlighting the point, because if this is a metaphor what we’re saying is, you can forget the figures on Tuesday night; they are fraudulent.

The total blow-out, since Labor abolished the Howard Government’s border protection policies; not the total cost, we’re talking about the government abolished the border protection policy and then made estimates right through as to what this would cost us as taxpayers. The blow-out on that since the Howard policies were abolished, $4.7 billion.

MORRISON

That is absolutely right. $4.7 billion and when we left office, it cost us $85 million a year to run this program. $85 million. This year they’re saying it will cost $1.2 billion ….

ALAN JONES

Say that again.

MORRISON

$1.2 billion this financial year.

ALAN JONES

…and when the Coalition left office it was costing …?

MORRISON

$85 million.

ALAN JONES

…to manage asylum seekers. All the costs. $85 million a year.

MORRISON

That’s right.

ALAN JONES

Now its estimated, $1.2 billion.

MORRISON

Yeah and the boats are still coming and they’ve already exceeded the forecast for the arrivals this year.

ALAN JONES

Lets take another area of dishonesty.

MORRISON

Sure.

ALAN JONES

OK? In the budget they are predicating all their costs on 450 arrivals a month. How many turned up in April?

MORRISON

Almost 1,000.

ALAN JONES

The budget says this is predicated - when we’re assessing the costs of asylum seekers - it’s predicated on 450 arrivals a month. You’re saying 1,000 turned up in April?

MORRISON

That’s right and also in December there was a similar figure and we’re going to keep seeing arrivals of this sort of order.

ALAN JONES

But the point is they’ve surrendered control - to take the metaphor- surrendered control of the borders and they’ve surrendered control of the budget

MORRISON

That’s right and the government had a choice. The government can adopt our proven measures, Alan, or they can adopt the measures of The Greens. Any they’ve just given up and given in to the Greens yet again on yet another issue. We saw it on the carbon tax in spectacular form and we’ve seen it on this issue in equal measure.

I mean this is a government that is completely captive to the Greens or they’re completely captive to propping up the scandalous members that we particularly see in their paying for the legal bills of one Mr Thomson.

ALAN JONES

Yeah, so since Labor was elected in 2007, more than 17,000 asylum seekers and crew have been intercepted on boats.

MORRISON

That’s right.

ALAN JONES

Now that would fill - the Daily Telegraph made a good point this week- that would fill the city of Griffith; it’d fill Grafton; it’d more than triple the size of Yass.

MORRISON

And importantly, Alan, what that means is, we are seeing thousands - literally thousands - of people who apply through the proper channels offshore in camps and places all around the world, there were 54,000 last financial year who made applications, we’re seeing thousands less of them now get those places…

ALAN JONES

…that’s right…

MORRISON

…and there are many reasons why this policy has to be fixed. And stopping people getting on boats, where they die is obviously critical. Its also….

ALAN JONES

….but they can’t afford to alienate The Greens and this is Greens policy.

MORRISON

Well, that’s right. They have completely…..

ALAN JONES

….let em in and open the door and Hotel Australia is open for business.

MORRISON

Well it’s called the “let them in; let them out” policy.

ALAN JONES

(laughs)…”Let em in; let em out!

Apropos of absolutely nothing, I was wondering, when I was looking at some of these figures last night, why there might be a relationship with the government spending close to $10 million over the past three years on new shredding machines. I wonder what the shredding machines might be used for. Might that be to get rid of some of this unhelpful information, do you think? $10 million on shredding machines for God’s sake!

MORRISON

Well, I imagine they’re fairly busy…

ALAN JONES

That’s right, the shredders we’re told, the demand has sharply increased across government. They might be forecasting their own end and we’ll get rid of the stuff before this other mob come in and see what really happened.

MORRISON

Well, you know, I think Alan what we are seeing with this government and we saw it again in the Telegraph today with the report about Craig Thomson. We saw it yesterday with the Prime Minister who was trying to set Australians against each other with what I thought was a grubby sort of jibe…

ALAN JONES

Dreadful…

MORRISON

…on Tony Abbot…

ALAN JONES

…class warfare. Grubby…

MORRISON

…where he lives. Tony Abbot lives in Forestville with his wife, Margy, his three kids. That’s where he put them through school and the Prime Minister wants to make issues of these sort of things….

ALAN JONES

Well he’s not the only person. There’s plenty of people out there living in those places in fact the North Shore was once held by the Labor Party. Maxine McKew beat John Howard in the seat of Bennelong. Just to give you that again. Ross has got some extracts of that. This put the phones in meltdown early this morning. Its not relevant to what I am talking to Scott about…I’m speaking with Scott Morrison…but this was Julia Gillard in the Parliament yesterday. Listen to this.

[…. Gillard excerpt….]

ALAN JONES

So the people on the North Shore are not working families. I don’t know what they are. Then of course she repeated it because she’s getting advice from this media spin doctor that they inherited, that they adopted with big money from Scotland, this bloke McTernan, he’s advising her to carry on like this. Go on.

[…Plays another excerpt of Gillard….]

ALAN JONES

Real world. So you’re not in the real world if you’re there. We haven’t had this sort of class warfare in decades have we, in this country?

MORRISON

I think it’s disgraceful. I mean an Australian Prime Minister….

ALAN JONES

She only diminishes herself. She doesn’t diminish Tony Abbot.

MORRISON

Well she does diminish herself. As Prime Minister you’re supposed to bring Australians together, you’re not supposed to set them against each other for your own crass political purposes which is what this Prime Minister is doing and that’s what the budget is seeking to do. That’s why we have all this nonsense coming out about class warfare from this government. Their only strategy here is to protect their own political interest by attacking Australians living in communities across the country. And we have the situation, Alan where the privileged few that she is standing up for are grubby union leaders with credit cards who have been….

ALAN JONES

…but she didn’t know anything about it, Scott. She didn’t know anything about it.

MORRISON

Oh, of course not, of course not. Well she should know something about it Alan, because she’s the one who propped him up and has propped him up supported him at the last election …

ALAN JONES

…she knows all right. She just presses the “liar” button when she’s in trouble. She pressed the “liar” button.

Just in your portfolio area, the other manifestation of this is this outfit operating the detention centres on behalf of the government, Serco, has had a 45% rise in net profit last year. I’ll tell you what, it’s good business, eh?

MORRISON

Well when you’ve got border failures operating at this level Alan, I mean that’s where the costs….

ALAN JONES

…. Revenue doubled for them. I mean $369 million to $693 million - revenue doubled. Where is, there any other business whose revenue in one year doubles and whose profit increased by 45%?

MORRISON

The people smugglers. The only surplus budget this government has delivered, Alan, has been for the people smugglers. There is $165 million we estimate they have made as a result of this government’s failed policies and I tell you what, their bankers I’m sure are still very happy with their business model because this government continues to give it to them.

ALAN JONES

And then of course people are then able to offer them Homestay accommodation to asylum seekers. $300 for 2-6 weeks. What? 30 bucks a day.

MORRISON

This is a policy, Alan, which is again ill-considered. We’ve seen all the failures before and I think were going down the same track. I mean we’re going to have literally thousands of people potentially in this programme. The risk profile of something going wrong here needs to only be 0.1 per cent and we could have an incident. Now I don’t think the government has thought this through, like they’ve not thought through any of the issues in this area.

ALAN JONES

Now I wonder if Bob Brown will open up his house. Now they say that they ought to be released into the community. They say Hotel Australia is open for business. Will Bob Brown open his house to some of these people?

MORRISON

Well that’s a good question. I’m sure if he ever came on your programme Alan, you would put the question to him.

ALAN JONES

(laughing) absolutely. Where are we going though? People out there listening to you are thinking how much longer can this nonsense go on?

MORRISON

Well it’s a good question. I think that the parliament sits in a very delicate place I mean we saw that yesterday and the Coalition had to force Craig Thomson to give an explanation which he will give when the Parliament returns. This is an explanation that the Prime Minister should have required of him, not just in the Parliament but in her own office. She doesn’t want to see the sun ever set on Mr Thomson’s membership of the…

ALAN JONES

…she needs his vote.

MORRISON

…Parliament.

ALAN JONES

We’ve got to go to the news but thank you for all of that. It’s a metaphor, as I said, of where we are. Good to talk to you.

ENDS

Speech : Transcript - Doorstop interview

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Doorstop interview

Thursday 10th May 2012

SUBJECTS: Government stalls yet another vote on their failed Malaysia Solution, Peter Costello, Craig Thomson, Labor’s failed Budget

EandOE

MORRISON:
I note today that in the Parliament the second Malaysia Solution bill, brought by the Member for Lyne, will not be voted on today in the Parliament. The normal practice is that when private members bills are debated in the house they are then listed for a vote in the next sitting week on a Thursday. Well that is today and it would seem that the Malaysian non-solution has now been also orphaned by the Member for Lyne as well as the government who have already voted against actually having their Malaysia solution legislation voted on in the Parliament. This is a policy that has now been rejected by everybody and this is a government that refuses to have it voted on and even when the proxy bill is put up by one of the independents it won’t even be listed for a vote today. This is a government that has genuinely I think we can see through this action today, walked away with all of its supporters on this legislation from having it voted on in this Parliament and it requires a very specific response from the government. That is the government must put in place the policies that work. They have no policies of their own. They refuse to have their own policies even voted on in the Parliament either through their own legislation or the proxies put up by other members. I think it is just another day of failure, another day we have seen this government just give up and give in.

QUESTION:
Have you heard form Peter Costello at all or any other rumblings about him returning to Canberra?

MORRISON:
Well I talk to Peter Costello pretty regularly and I can tell you this report is absolute nonsense.

QUESTION:
Would you welcome him returning though?

MORRISON:
I tell you the Australian people are looking for a good treasurer at the moment and they will find one in Joe Hockey and they remember fondly the days when Peter Costello was Treasurer and in weeks like this week we are reminded that we did have the world’s greatest treasurer in the Howard/Costello Government and we certainly don’t have it now. Peter Costello was our greatest ever Treasurer and that position is certainly not under any threat from the current incumbent.

QUESTION:
What do you put the rumblings down to? Is that mischief making?

MORRISON:
Well I can only put it down to that.

QUESTION:
From within your own party?

MORRISON:
No I can put that down I think to those who in this place seem to want to be interested in this sort of nonsense that is clearly nonsense. This is a government under clear stress and if people want to give the government a leg up by talking up this sort of nonsense that seems to be the habit of some today in the media they can do so. But the real issue today is we have a government that says it has walked away from Craig Thomson but has been paying his legal bills. When you want to find out what is happening with these sorts of scandals the old saying is you follow the money. Well the money goes back to Sussex Street and Labor Party headquarters in Sydney. That is who has been paying the legal bills for Mr Thomson by his own admission and from the report today we understand that has been happening since September. The privileged few this Prime Minister has been standing up for is one Mr Thomson whom she doesn’t want to see the sun set on his time as the Member for Dobell.

QUESTION:
Is it a bad look for the Coalition to vote against these school kids payments?

MORRISON:
It is a good look for the Coalition to be standing up for fiscal responsibility. It is a good look for the Coalition to be the ones who aren’t prepared to support yet more cash splashes from a government that wants to use a fiscal hit to prop up its own sagging polls. We have a Prime Minister today who is trying to set Australians up against each other by attacking where they live. This is a deplorable act by a Prime Minister who has sunk to a new low. You don’t go around maligning where people live in this country which is what this Prime Minister did yesterday on several occasions. I think she should apologise to the residents of the north shore, she should apologise to all Australians for trying to engage in this ridiculous class warfare.

QUESTION:
What’s the difference between the school kids payments and the baby bonus?

MORRISON:
I think the key issue here is the context. These payments are being made as part of a fiscal fiddle to bring payments for a program that was already in place, they have restructured it, to put it in this fiscal year to prop up a phony surplus for next year. It is being paid out of deficit and debt. No wonder they have to increase the limit on the nation’s credit card by $50 billion in order to pay for their continued and wasteful, reckless spending. This is a government who has a treasurer who said yesterday raising the national credit card limit by $50 billion was no big deal. Well there is no better statement of someone being out of touch than that.

QUESTION:
They are still cash payments to families though.

MORRISON:
I have outlined the context of the payments and that is why we don’t support them. This is a fiscal fiddle designed to prop up a Prime Minister’s inability to deliver surplus budgets, the Treasurer’s inability to deliver surplus budgets and try to inoculate the carbon tax hit that is going to come the way of all Australian families on the first of July this year. Thank you.

END

Media Release : Another Labor budget, another blow out on boats

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Another Labor budget has delivered another blow out of $1.7 billion for Australian taxpayers on the cost of managing asylum seekers arriving on illegal boats, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Labor’s latest border protection blow out of $1.7 billion, includes an increase of $424 million for 2012/13 on last year’s budget figures, that will add to our growing debt and cost taxpayers an extra $1.1 million per day,” Mr Morrison said.

“Just as they have surrendered control over our borders in removing the last remaining deterrent of the Howard Government, Labor have surrendered control of the budget to people smugglers,” he said.

“The only surplus Labor can claim responsibility for is the bumper surplus achieved by people smugglers who continue to profit from Labor’s failed policies.

“The latest blow out means that the cost to taxpayers for Labor’s border protection failures since they abolished the Howard Government’s proven border protection measures has blown out by $4.7 billion. This includes the $866 million blow out revealed in the 2011/12 budget update and a further $840 million in last night’s budget since that update. [see chart 1]

“The $1.7 billion blow out since last year’s budget comes as illegal boats continue to arrive at record levels and a record number of more than 7,000 asylum seekers are in detention or in the community. [see chart 2]

“Once again Labor seeks to blame others for their own border and budget failures. Labor’s ill conceived, poorly implemented and failed Malaysian people swap was all their own work. It joined a long list of other Labor policy failures including the asylum freeze and the East Timor farce.

“Instead of restoring the proven measures of the Coalition, Labor embraced the Greens policy of community release and bridging visas, including their new ‘granny flat solution’ that has seen illegal boat arrivals surge to even higher levels.

“This latest blow out is just another in a series of border and budget failures. Every year the record of Labor’s failure just gets bigger.

“In 2007/08 it cost just $85 million to manage asylum seekers arriving on illegal boats. In 2011/12 Labor will have spent almost $1.2 billion on asylum seeker costs. [see chart 4]

“In 2009/10, just three years ago, Wayne Swan put the cost of managing asylum seekers arriving on illegal boats at $455 million over four years. Last night that cost over four years was $3.8 billion.

“If Labor had simply left in place the strong border protection regime they inherited from the Howard Government, last night’s budget would have been $3.3 billion better off.

“Next year the Government is budgeting to spend more than $1.1 billion on boat arrivals, however their ability to achieve this is already under pressure with boat arrivals at record levels and well above the Government’s assumptions for arrivals of just 450 per month. In April almost 1,000 people turned up.

“In November last year the Department forecast that 5,645 people would turn up in 2011/12. This mark was exceeded on Monday, with seven weeks stills to go, after three boats turned up within twenty four hours, taking the total number of arrivals to 5,646 - the highest on record for a financial year [see chart 3],” Mr Morrison said.

*** Budget blow out charts attached below ***

Media Release : Budget offers no plan for Shire residents, just more debt and a carbon tax

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Labor’s failed Budget is a major disappointment for residents and families in the Sutherland Shire, Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison and Local Federal Member for Hughes, Craig Kelly said today.

“This year’s Budget demonstrates no plan to build a stronger economy, repay debt or create secure jobs,” Mr Morrison said.

“It’s a confused budget. All it delivers is more borrowing, more taxes, record debt – and the world’s biggest carbon tax for Shire families.

“Five days before the last election, Julia Gillard promised ‘there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead’ and this year’s Budget is Australia’s first carbon tax Budget.

“The world’s biggest carbon tax is about to hit families, jobs and investment here in the Shire at the worst time.

“The carbon tax will act as a wrecking ball across the local economy and we will all be paying for it through increased prices, higher energy bills and pressure on local businesses.

“The government’s announcement that it will seek to increase Australia’s debt ceiling to a record $300 billion – four times higher than it was in 2008 will also be of great concern to Shire families.

“This is another increase in our nation’s credit card limit. We will see net government debt climb to a record in 2013-14. That is an increase of almost $40 billion since last year’s Budget.

“Shire families will also continue to pay for Labor’s border protection failures which have resulted in record numbers of people arriving by illegal boat to Australia. Offshore asylum seeker management has blown out by $1.7 billion since last year’s budget and $4.7 billion in total since this failed government came to office,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Kelly said: “By 2015-16, the government will be spending over $8 billion a year or around $22 million a day on interest payments alone. We are now paying the price for Labor’s four record deficits which together total $174 billion.

“The Budget papers forecast a rise in unemployment to 5.5 per cent.

“Last year’s Budget promised 500,000 new jobs over two years, but the Government now expects to miss its target by 300,000 jobs. Meanwhile the Government is cutting $200 million out of jobs services programmes.

“Shire families want a government which can deliver an economic strategy to build a stronger Australia, reduce cost of living pressures and create secure jobs.

“Instead they have a government mired in chaos and a Prime Minister with no judgment. Tonight Shire residents and families will be asking themselves: how long will this one last?” Mr Kelly said.

Speech : Vale Murray Rose AM

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Vale Murray Rose AM

Wednesday 9th May 2012

It is with great pleasure but at the same time sadness that I rise to speak on the passing of Iain Murray Rose. In this Olympic year there will be cause for much celebration as we encourage and witness the achievements of our athletes on the track, in the field and of course in Murray Rose's beloved pool. Australian sport has delivered us many heroes over time, but the role models we remember most fondly are those men and women who make a remarkable contribution and leave an indelible mark on the fabric of our society long after their race has been run or indeed swum.

Murray passed away last month after a battle with leukaemia at the age of 73. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jodi, and their family. He will be sorely missed, most importantly as a husband and as a father, but to a nation he will be missed as a great Australian. Murray picked up the golden hat-trick at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, winning gold medals in the four by 200-metre freestyle relay, the 400-metre freestyle and the 1,500-metre freestyle. He was just 17 years old at the time. Backing up in Rome in 1960, Murray retained his 400-metre freestyle crown and picked up the silver medal behind fellow Aussie John Konrads in the 1,500-metre freestyle. His final swim for Australia was at the Perth Commonwealth Games in 1962 where he won his four events. The President of Swimming Australia, David Urquhart, said, 'Murray was part of the swimming DNA in Australia' and that his name was synonymous with success in the sport of swimming. Murray was a champion in the pool but perhaps more importantly, Murray was a champion in our community—and I mean even more specifically the community of the Sutherland shire.

He served for many years as the patron of the Rainbow Club, an organisation which I am proud to also be associated with. It is a hardworking, non-profit organisation that offers swimming lessons for children with disabilities and special needs. This is where I came to know Murray. The Rainbow Club provides specially tailored swimming lessons to young people with physical or mental disabilities. The club is a valuable opportunity for these children to make friends, to grow in confidence and to extend their abilities through sport and recreational swimming. Murray led by example with his hands-on approach, his infectious enthusiasm and great passion and commitment for this cause which is helping these kids grow in skill and confidence both in and out of the water. It also plays a crucial role in developing their sense of belonging. The kids feel a sense of ownership over their local club and pride in their local community. Importantly, the clubs also foster support networks between families, giving both the children and the parents opportunities to meet and share with others in similar circumstances to their own. There are 18 Rainbow clubs in Australia, including two in my electorate of Cook—the Cronulla Rainbow Club at Taren Point Swim School and the Sutherland Rainbow Club at the Sutherland Leisure Centre. Each club is run independently under a parent working committee overseen by a national constitution of Rainbow Club Australia which provides the major funding to drive this work forward. The Rainbow Club operates on a budget of about $250,000 a year—without any government contribution. But community input and fundraising is what is critical to ensure its success.

Children with disabilities have particular needs and the Rainbow Club provides specialised learn-to-swim instruction that is tailored to best support each student. In most cases this includes one-on-one classes. The club caters for a wide range of needs. For children with a physical disability that may mean they require greater supervision or progress at a different pace from their peers and children with autism whose condition would make a crowded and noisy 'mainstream' swim class an overwhelming and upsetting experience. Understandably, because of the tailored level of care, Rainbow's operating costs for instructors' wages are very high. But the work they do is critical and it is important the club continues to be supported in the future.

The Rainbow Club gives more than 400 children the opportunity to swim each weekend and employs about 70 instructors. In my electorate alone, there are about 70 kids who have this opportunity to get into the pool each weekend.

Rainbow Club Australia has been operating for more than 40 years now. It was started back in 1969 by a Cronulla local Ron Siddons and his wife, Lily. Ron has asked me, and I spoke to him today, to place on record their appreciation and their own personal tribute to Murray and their sincere condolences to his family. Never in their wildest dreams did they believe someone of Murray's standing, who was in such high demand, would be able to lend his support to their great cause. However, after being asked to take on the role of patron by another great shire identity, Peter Kerr, Murray signed up without hesitation.

Murray was an active patron, not just a name on the letterhead. He understood and participated in the work of the Rainbow Club. He played a key role in fundraising and lifting the club's profile. In 2008, he drove the creation of the Malabar Magic Ocean Swim—an event now enjoyed by 1,000 swimmers every year, raising more than $40,000 for these kids. In 2010, the Rainbow Club won the New South Wales Ministers Award for Most Significant Contribution to Water Safety with a Focus on an Under-Represented Group, in recognition of their contribution.

Rob Lloyd—a board member of the Rainbow Club—described Murray as a 'great man with a great heart and soul'. Murray was also a regular at the Cronulla Shark Island swim where he would often find himself lining up alongside my predecessor in the seat of Cook, the Hon. Bruce Baird, a very accomplished ocean swimmer, and I know Bruce would want to have his condolences and appreciation for Murray registered in this place. Bruce is also a regular at the Shark Island swim and has regularly won his age group, except of course when Murray has been in the water. It was not a bad thing to come second to the great Murray Rose.

When the swimmers line up next March, Murray will obviously not be there, but his contribution, his memory and his legacy will remain. By the end of his swimming career, Murray had broken 15 world records—two more than Olympian Ian Thorpe. These gold medals pay tribute to Murray's golden talent. However, the smiles on the faces of the kids and the families of the Rainbow Club will forever pay tribute to his golden heart.

Speech : Migration Legislation Amendment (Student Visas) Bill 2012

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Migration Legislation Amendment (Student Visas) Bill 2012

Wednesday 9th May 2012

Mr MORRISON (Cook) (18:42): Australia's student visa industry is of enormous importance to Australia's national economy and it enjoys the strong support of members on this side of the House, as it has for many years. At its peak in 2009 there were more than 491,000 international students enrolled in courses in Australia, generating $18.6 billion and making it the nation's third largest export industry, behind coal and iron ore.

At the start of this financial year more than half of the 332,700 international students in Australia were studying at universities, while a third were on vocational training visas studying diploma courses. Our student visa population is made up of students from more than 197 countries. Students from China and India, our top source countries, make up about a third of the students here on visas. The majority of students choose to study mainly in New South Wales, my home state, or in Victoria.

In the decade leading to 2009-10 the student visa program grew at an average of 15 per cent per year. Australia's share of the international student market increased from 5.1 per cent in 2000 to seven per cent in 2009, making Australia the largest provider of international education services in 2009 behind the United States, at 18 per cent, and the United Kingdom, at 10 per cent.

A recent paper on the student visa industry last year by the Bureau of Statistics observed that, considering the relative size of Australia's population, such high representation in the international student market was indicative of the ongoing importance of this sector to Australia, both economically and for communities. We certainly do punch above our weight when it comes to competing in the space of international education. Following a series of government measures between 2008 and 2011, along with other factors such as the strong dollar, more competition for students overseas and the damage done to Australia's reputation following attacks on Indian students, enrolments fell by between 10 and 30 per cent. A large number of colleges that were aimed at providing courses purely for migration purposes collapsed as a result.

In 2009-10 student visa applications dropped by 19 per cent, making that the first year of negative growth in total applications. The negative growth continued in 2010-11, when international education activity contributed $16 billion to our economy and there were just 141,600 applications lodged offshore—a drop of 20 per cent on the previous program year.

According to the ABS, declines in student visa applications have been most prominent in the VET sector, despite 150 per cent growth in that sector between 2006-07 and 2008-09. The number of student visa holders in Australia dropped by 13 per cent between June 2010 and June 2011.

Given the significant contribution the international student sector makes to our economy, and not only to that economy but also to our society more broadly, protecting the future success of this industry and enabling it to remain competitive is, and should be, an ongoing priority for all members of this place.

It is therefore extremely concerning that the Auditor-General found last year that management of this critical industry and of the visa program was not sufficiently robust to effectively meet the challenges involved in achieving the government's objective for the student visa program of balancing industry growth and program integrity. The ANAO found that more than 350,000 non-compliance notices issued to students had not been acted upon, prompting fears that the backlog could obscure serious cases of non-compliance. The Auditor-General's report in May 2011 also found the department was unable to effectively monitor the 20-hour work restriction on student visas or to enforce compliance, because of the lack of an appropriate regulatory regime.

In June 2011 Michael Knight, a former Labor minister in New South Wales, presented his review of the student visa program to the government with 41 recommendations, which included measures to introduce a more targeted, strategic analysis of non-compliance.

On 22 September last year, Ministers Evans and Bowen announced the government's response and accepted all of the 41 recommendations made in that report. On 22 March this year, this bill was introduced into the House to enact recommendation 24—that is, to remove the blanket automatic cancellation regime currently in place for student visa holders who breach the academic progress or attendance requirement, and replace it with a more targeted strategic analysis of non-compliance.

While the government has agreed to adopt the recommendations of the Knight review—and we believe this will go some way towards addressing these issues in relation to Australian universities—the Coalition awaits with interest a second report in mid-2012 to tackle these issues across the international education sector more broadly—something that has so far been ignored. It is necessary to ensure that Australia's reputation in the provision of excellence in education is not compromised by linking those outcomes with migration outcomes. We are in the business of selling world-class education; we are not in the business of selling education visas as a pathway to permanent residence.

We will look carefully at the legislative and regulatory changes when they are introduced into parliament to ensure that the proposed changes address the issues and do not create more unintended consequences. With that in mind, the Coalition does not, in principle, oppose this bill as we believe that, on the face of it, the bill seeks to streamline and better target resources towards migration fraud and non-compliance in the student visa sector. This is important because the Australian public has to have confidence in the integrity of our immigration program. When they lose that confidence, then any opportunities for us to continue to advance the immigration program—which has been what has brought luck to the lucky country in so many respects—are lost.

We already know of the serious and significant failures of the government in other areas of the immigration program, particularly in relation to the illegal entry of boats to Australia and the chaos that has been created there, which I will not dwell on this evening. Australians have lost confidence in this government's ability to run an immigration program effectively, securely and successfully. In this area it is important that we ensure integrity measures are in place. The Coalition will always support measures that improve the integrity of the immigration program.

Further clarification is going to be required as to the thresholds, the definitions and the trigger points that would accompany the new compliance regime. In particular, we need to be clear about the resource requirements that this new regime will demand. The Coalition awaits with great interest the final report from the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee that is due on 18 June this year.

This bill will serve as an eraser to the embarrassing administrative backlog of the government's own creation, wiping out the administrative backlog of over 350,000 non-compliance notices created by Labor's mismanagement of this scheme. If the department could not handle these mandatory notices, it is hard to see how it will find the resources to manage a discretionary regime with the kind of integrity that Australian taxpayers and Australian citizens would expect, given the pressures that are placed upon the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as a result of the government's policy failures, particularly on our borders. The rationale for introducing a mandatory cancellation regime was to ensure that basic threshold requirements, such as actually attending an educational institution and passing a course of study, were met as an absolute requirement of holding a student visa—no exceptions. After all, if you are not attending your classes and you are not passing your course, you obviously have no need of a student visa and one has to wonder what your purpose is in being here in the first place.

At the end of 2010, the Auditor-General found there were more than 250,000 students who had failed to comply with one or the other of these requirements and had been issued with non-compliance notices. None of these notices had been dealt with. In the first three months of 2011 alone, more than 30,000 new non-compliance notices were issued every month. The Knight review found that around 35 per cent of these—over one-third—fell into the high risk categories. The fact that this important compliance regime fell apart under this government is not surprising. Enforcing compliance and upholding the integrity and robustness of Australia's immigration program is, though, in the vanguard of what the Coalition believes should be the approach to immigration, including Australia's student visa program.

I note with some concern that last week there were reports of serious allegations of fraud and non-compliance in other areas of the migration program. They concerned applications coming through our post Wednesday, in Islamabad. As yet there has been no explanation from the government. There has been no announcement of how many cases have been referred to the Australian Federal Police, of how many prosecutions are pending, of how many visas have been potentially compromised or of how many investigations have been launched into cases referred to the Migration Review Tribunal which could have been connected to what those whistleblowers in-post were suggesting might have been fraudulent activity.

All of these matters have gone completely unaddressed despite the fact that, in the same report on 7.30, the department's own spokesperson acknowledged that there had been a problem—and there was a problem. All of these matters remain unaddressed and dismissed. These matters of integrity are incredibly important, and I accept that the government is with this bill seeking to address them. But there will be questions about how effective the measures in the bill are, and, as we go through the Senate committee process, we hope to learn more about how they are going to be addressed.

So the Coalition will be watching very closely to ensure that this new regime is properly resourced to deliver compliance and integrity in our student visa program. It is important that everyone seeking to game this system be identified, that their visas be cancelled and that they be promptly removed. The Senate committee report should go some way to providing clarification on the new regime, the practice of which will also need to be scrutinised.

I note that the government has as usual failed to manage its legislative program in this place in such a way as to ensure that the Senate's report is completed and made available to the parliament prior to its being brought before this House for a decision. I hoped that we would have had the opportunity for the measures in the bill to be looked at further before it is brought to a decision and to make any amendments that may be required as a result of the interrogation of the bill. In good faith the Coalition is not going to oppose this bill in this place. It will come under scrutiny in the other place, and we will consider the matter in closer detail once there has been the opportunity for a review. I hope that, once the review is concluded, any concerns—if indeed there are any—can be resolved.

I go now to some of the more technical points about the bill. The bill seeks to amend two items of legislation: the Migration Act and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000. This legislation sets out the consequences of non-compliance for student visa holders who fail to meet mandatory course attendance and participation requirements. Currently, students who fail to meet either of these are, as I noted before, subject to the automatic cancellation of their visa.

Under the ESOS Act, education providers are required to monitor course progress and attendance of international students and must at minimum intervene where an international student has failed more than 50 per cent of the units attempted in any one study period or is at risk of failing to attend between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of total course contact hours. Where achievement or attendance has not been satisfactory, the education provider must report the 8202 breach to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Currently, under section 137J of the Migration Act, the automatic cancellation of a student visa is triggered when the student receives a notice of breach under section 20 of the ESOS Act. The student then has 28 days to comply with the notice or to attend a departmental office to make submissions about the breach and circumstances leading to the breach; otherwise, the visa is cancelled and the student is excluded from applying for further visas for up to three years. Any family-dependent visa holders would also have their visas cancelled.

This blanket non-compliance regime would be replaced under this bill by a system in which information conveyed by student course variations is used as an input into a more targeted and strategic analysis of non-compliance, and for the assessment of the individual circumstances of student visa holders. This bill would prevent registered providers from sending those notices under section 20 to a student visa holder who breaches a prescribed condition of their visa, effectively repealing the automatic cancellation under the Migration Act. This bill proposes that, rather than blanket cancellation rules being applied, cases of non-compliance be examined in the context of the minister's discretionary powers under section 116 of the Migration Act to allow infringements to be investigated and prioritised according to risk, taking into account individual or extenuating circumstances.

What is important here from our perspective is that we know what the threshold tests are going to be and that we understand how they are going to screen, identify, target and then act upon those cases of non-compliance that warrant action. This is a difficult task. I welcome the more risk-oriented approach rather than the blanket approach. We do not want to create a bureaucratic merry-go-round and a paper trail and a paper chase in this area simply for the sake of it; we need to target.

I think that these areas will require very close attention when dealing with the genuine and very real cases of potential fraud and of non-compliance within our immigration program. What is necessary is a clear understanding of the resources, of the processes, of the intentions, of the transparency and of the opportunity to further ensure that we are targeting areas of risk. Whether it is student visas, work visas, holiday visas, protection visas—any element of our visa program—it is absolutely critical that we uphold the integrity of our program at every single stage of the process because when you fail to uphold the integrity of either the construction of the program or its administration you are at great risk of allowing this program to fall victim to a lack of confidence from the Australian community.

The Coalition is committed to the integrity of our immigration program. We believe strongly in our immigration program. We want to see it succeed and to see it welcomed, appreciated and supported in the Australian community. In that spirit we welcome the measures that are put forward in this bill and we look forward to further scrutiny of them in the other place.

Speech : Transcript - Sky News PM Agenda

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Sky News PM Agenda

Wednesday 9th May 2012

SUBJECTS: Budget 2012, Julia Gillard’s cheap shot, $1.7 billion budget blow-out on boats, Craig Thomson

EandOE

SPEERS:
Joining me now Scott Morrison, the Shadow Immigration Minister, Liberal front bencher, thank you for joining us.

MORRISON:
Hi David.

SPEERS:
Which is it? Joe Hockey said you’re not going to support it, Tony Abbott says we’ll take it to the party room.

MORRISON:
Well I think Tony made it clear – our disposition is certainly we have reservations about this very strongly and Joe’s expressed those in the fullest possible terms.

SPEERS:
Did he get ahead of the party room saying we’re not going to-

MORRISON:
We have our processes but it was made very clear in the discussions we had last night that this was our very clear disposition and I think that had a broad level of support, a very broad level of support and that’s where it stands.

SPEERS:
When does it go to the party room then?

MORRISON:
The leader will obviously give his reply on Thursday night but it’ll be our timetable, not the government’s timetable or anyone else’s.

SPEERS:
You’ll have to vote on this before you get a party room meeting, won’t you?

MORRISON:
Well that’s our normal process, legislation comes into the parliament, the measures are looked at and decisions are taken through our processes. I think Tony made that very clear but both Joe and Tony have laid a very clear marker on this that we have very real concerns about a big cash splash which has been brought forward into this fiscal year to ensure they have a tricky surplus for next year and it’s there as a sugar hit before the carbon tax hits.

SPEERS:
Does it worry you though that you’re essentially standing in between hard-working lower middle income families and a bucket of money?

MORRISON:
It worries me the state of disrepair this Government’s put the budget in and their tendency to just splash cash around every time they want to try and pick up their fortunes in the polls. That’s what we’re seeing here. This has been funded out of debt. This has been funded in a deficit year and I think that context is very, very important.

SPEERS:
But you don’t think families deserve that money?

MORRISON:
Well I don’t think they deserve a carbon tax and that’s our focus.

SPEERS:
No but I’m asking about this money that you’re opposing, you don’t think they deserve it?

MORRISON:
Well they were actually getting in large part this money under the existing scheme which provided education rebates, not cash splashes. Education rebates and that program was in place. Now the government has chose to turn that into this other splash measure and bring it forward. Look, I think the government has to be transparent about their motives here. We’re very clear about our understanding of their motives and I think the Australian people look at this as a very tricky payment.

SPEERS:
Now Julia Gillard’s line there that she’s used a couple of times today that you guys – Tony Abbott – needs to get his head out of the North Shore and reconnect with working families.

MORRISON:
I think those sort of comments diminish the Prime Minister. I mean, you don’t go around maligning Australians living in any part of Australia and I think that’s what she’s done. Tony Abbott has worn out his shoe leather talking to Australians all around the country, particularly since the carbon tax was announced. Her shoes are intact after making the promise that she’d wear out her shoe leather. He’s visited 50,000 workers on their factory floors and in their workplaces; he’s visited 150 businesses over that time, over 30 forums. Now if the Prime Minister wants to make personal attacks on where Tony Abbott and his wife Margie and his three kids have brought their family up, put them through school, if she wants to make these personal comparisons about the leaders well she has invited those comparisons and others can make comment.

SPEERS:
Isn’t she just making a general point here that, you know, that the North Shore of Sydney -

MORRISON:
It was a cheap shot, it was a cheap shot and it was maligning other Australians and I don’t think a Prime Minister should do that. This is a Prime Minister who I don’t think gets the cost of living in Sydney. The Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Finance Minister I think have no idea about the cost of living pressures, especially in Sydney.

SPEERS:
But hang on you’re the ones stopping more money going to –

MORRISON:
We’re the ones who are going to stop the carbon tax, David, that’s what we’re going to stop. Sugar hits like this are not things that do our budget a good service. That’s why we are looking at supporting the other measures announced which are ongoing measures and which are part of the structural arrangement of payments that are made to people under Family Tax Benefit A and the unemployment benefits. Now these are things that Joe indicated I think very clearly last night deserve support but a sugar hit, a political quick fix for the Prime Minister’s own poll sag is not something that I think Australians necessarily think is good policy.

SPEERS:
Let’s look at your own portfolio, immigration. We have seen another increase in the projected spend on border protection issues, does that surprise you?

MORRISON:
Well it doesn’t surprise me. We’ve now had the highest number of people arrive on illegal boats on record in this financial year. It occurred on Monday. We had more people turn up in twenty-four hours than the last six years of the Howard Government. Labor now have the three biggest financial years of arrivals on record. The budget blew out since this time last year by $1.7 billion. Next year, 2012/13, Australian taxpayers are going to pay $1.1 million extra every single day on what Labor told the people a year ago.

SPEERS:
And yet the Government would blame you for this –

MORRISON:
Well of course they would.

SPEERS:
Because you’re not supporting the Malaysia solution, the offshore processing plan, that it says will slow down boat arrivals.

MORRISON:
The Government needs to understand that blaming the Opposition is not a policy, it’s just a lame excuse by a government that’s given up and given into the Greens. They have a choice. They can adopt the proven measures of the Coalition, which would have the support of the parliament or they can adopt the granny flat solution of the Greens and the community release policies and ‘let them in, let them out’ policies which has led to this massive surge in arrivals since December last year. That’s the government’s decision. The Malaysian solution or non-solution I should say – it was incompetently conceived, it was poorly implemented, it failed to achieve any of the measures it really needed to as a workable solution. It’s their mess, it failed. Now they need to get serious about proper measures that have worked.

SPEERS:
Now Craig Thomson this afternoon in parliament, we saw the Opposition try to force him to give an explanation in answer to the findings that had been made against him. He wouldn’t do it, the vote was narrowly lost but only after he did promise to give a statement, a full account to parliament in a couple of weeks. I want to just play you what he had to say.

VIDEO GRAB – CRAIG THOMSON IN PARLIAMENT

SPEERS:
So Scott Morrison, are you happy we’ll finally get an explanation from Craig Thomson?=

MORRISON:
Well it took the Opposition to force Mr Thomson’s hand in the parliament today. This is an explanation we will now get, the Australian public will now get but the Prime Minister never required, either before the last election when she supported him strongly, into the parliament again, has stood by him all the way through. The Prime Minister doesn’t want to see the sun set on the Member for Dobell being the Member for Dobell and it really did take the Opposition to bring some integrity into this process and require this explanation.

SPEERS:
What happens when he gives an explanation? If you’re not satisfied with it or if you are, is it going to change anything? What happens then?

MORRISON:
Well this is step one. There is an explanation, an opportunity for Mr Thomson to explain what are the most appalling of allegations that have been found and investigated by the Fair Work investigation which of itself went on for almost an eternity.

SPEERS:
But the bottom line is, whatever he says, there’s nothing you can do further to Craig Thomson.

MORRISON:
Well it’s important for the parliament, and as a member of that parliament, that when there are matters as serious as this, that a Member might come to explain himself. Now Mr Slipper sought to make similar statements earlier in the week in the house and he provided that before stepping down from the Chair. Mr Thomson has had to be dragged kicking and screaming to make this explanation. This is something the Prime Minister should have required of him, she refused to do so, she refused to even get it in her own office, let alone the parliament, because she needs his tainted vote to prop up her tainted government.

SPEERS:
Scott Morrison, good to talk to you, thanks for that.

MORRISON:
Thanks David.

END

Speech : Transcript - 6PR Mornings

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 6PR Mornings

Wednesday 9th May 2012

SUBJECT: Another Labor budget delivers another blow out of $1.7 billion for taxpayers on illegal boats

EandOE

PAUL MURRAY:
I’m joined now by the Scott Morrison, the Opposition’s immigration spokesman. Good morning Scott.

MORRISON:
Good morning Paul.

MURRAY:
So what does it show in terms of this blow out?

Well next financial year Australians are going to pay $1.1 million extra per day for the cost of managing asylum seekers compared to what Wayne Swan said a year ago. The cumulative blow outs now in the budget are $4.7 billion. This is a government that has lost control of our borders and lost control of our budget. In fact the only surplus this government has delivered is for the people smugglers who continue to make profits as boats continue to arrive.

MURRAY:
That $4.7 billion goes back to when Labor came to power back in 2007?

MORRISON:
From the 2009/10 budget is when we started to see the cost increase. When we lost office the budget for this was just $85 million a year and over four years it cost around $450 million. Those figures today are that it is costing us over $1 billion a year and over the full four year forward estimates it is costing us just under $4 billion a year. So the blow out is just ridiculous and this year if they just left the measures in place that the Howard Government had and they inherited there would have been around $3.3 billion extra, to not have the debt or to put on the priorities for infrastructure and other things the country needs. That is the cost of Labor’s border failures.

MURRAY:
You sent us a graph this morning showing the number of people arriving on boats illegally, I mean people claiming asylum from 1989/90 right up to now and it is interesting that there was a spike from 1999 to 2002 and then from 2002 through to 2007 it is running at 0, 82, 0, 61, 133, 25 and then whammo up it goes to over 5,600 a year.

MORRISON:
The three biggest years we have ever had for illegal boat arrivals have been the last three years including this financial year. We had more people turn up on boats on Monday than in the last six years of the Howard Government and that is all down to one thing – they just changed the measures that were working when they came into government and they continue to refuse to acknowledge that, continue to refuse to put them back. Yesterday Chris Bowen was blaming these blow outs on the coalition. I mean, give me a break. The guy has just simply given up putting up any sort of form of credible defence for what is the indefensible when it comes to this government’s failures.

MURRAY:
Well they blame you because you wouldn’t agree to the Malaysia Solution but my memory is they didn’t actually put it to a vote in the Parliament.

MORRISON:
Well they actually voted against having a vote in the Parliament, even worse, when we last sat before the budget session. They just want the Malaysian flop out there as an excuse to do nothing and to continue to adopt the Greens policy. We now have their ‘granny flat solutio’n which we were able to expose last week which they didn’t want to tell anyone about. That combined with community release and bridging visas that were announced last week have led to another big surge in arrivals and that is what is driving these costs. They had a choice, either go with our policies and put them back or they could go and cuddle up to the Greens as they always do and that is what they did and this is the result.

MURRAY:
Just give the listeners an idea, because we have been talking this morning about the $33.6 billion worth of cuts that the government is going to have to institute to get to surplus. Just give us an idea in this year and the next year the extra money that Wayne Swan has had to put into the budget to meet the blow out in asylum seekers.

MORRISON:
Well the blow out for next year was around $420 million. That is next year’s . So next year taxpayers are going to be paying an extra $1.1 million a day to cover just the blow out but if you take it back to the original figures, I mean as I said earlier, it was costing us just $85 million a year, it is now costing us $1.2 billion a year because of these failures. So it is a ten fold increase. The figures are just staggering when you think about it and they were just so unnecessary to come to this point if they just swallowed their pride, admit they got it wrong years ago and just put the Howard measures back in place.

MURRAY:
In terms of the stand off between the Opposition and the government is there any movement at all between the two parties on ending the stalemate and coming up with something realistic?

MORRISON:
Well the government just refuses to restore our policies and they want us to embrace their failures…

MURRAY:
They have actually embraced a fair bit of it, offshore processing etc. They were diametrically opposed to that in Opposition.

MORRISON:
But they had this Malaysian joke they wanted us to support. We are not in the business of supporting failed policies. If they want their Malaysian people swap they should go to the Greens, make it a matter of confidence for their government and bring it back into the Parliament but they refuse to do that, they don’t want to do that, they just want to use it as an excuse to do nothing. So the only way this is going to change Paul is with an election. That is the only way now that we can get the policies back that worked. We have stood by those policies consistently for a decade. This government has had every position on them imaginable but the one thing they have never done is implement them.

MURRAY:
Good to talk to you, thanks Scott.

MORRISON:
Thanks Paul.

END

Media Release : Three more boats as financial year arrivals highest on record

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat with 68 people on board is the third in 24 hours and means this is the biggest financial year for arrivals on illegal boats on record, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs, Michael Keenan, said today.

"This financial year 2011-2012, is the biggest ever for arrivals on illegal boats with over 5,600 people arriving with five weeks still to go," Mr Morrison said.

"This means more blow outs are on their way in tomorrow's failed Labor budget which funded the department for an average of only 450 arrivals a month. The average this year so far is over 600 and last month alone was almost 1,000 .

“More people have turned up on illegal boats in the last 24 hours, than in the last six years of the Howard Government. These three boats are yet another milestone of border protection failure under Julia Gillard," he said.

"People smugglers continue to react to Labor's 'let them in, let them out policy , and now their “granny flat” solution . Over 300 people have arrived in a day and all Labor can do is blame someone else for this policy failure.

"One year ago today Julia Gillard and Chris Bowen lauded their five for one people swap as the solution but this flawed and ill conceived proposal was just yet another Labor failure just like East Timor.

"Only the Coalition will implement proven policies to stop the boats and stop the budget blow outs on boats which have reached $3.9 billion and counting under this failed Labor government," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The people smugglers are intent on reminding this Labor Government that they are in charge of Australia’s borders, with the arrival of the 3 rd boat in 24 hours, bringing a total of 304 people illegally into our country in one day.

“This latest wave of boat arrivals is a timely reminder to this Labor Government about the consequences of having no semblance of a border protection policy yet they still offer only excuses not solutions.

“It will also make the almost $4 billion budget blow out worse at a time when Labor continue to attack our frontline border protection agencies in the search for savings.

“ Labor Ministers continue in their childlike insistence that “it wasn’t me” every time another boat arrives and refuse to take responsibility for the border protection crisis that has occurred as a direct result of their failed policies.

“This situation cannot continue but only a change in government will see it resolved,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : One year on, Malaysia people swap just a lame excuse for continued failure

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

One year after Labor announced their five for one Malaysian people swap, the failed policy has become just another lame excuse for Labor to blame everyone else for their own failures as they continue to capitulate to the Greens on border protection, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“On this day last year Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister Chris Bowen triumphantly addressed the media to announce their ill conceived and now failed proposal to exchange 800 asylum seekers for 4,000 refugees with Malaysia. The deal was prematurely announced as a pre-budget stunt, without any details agreed with Malaysia, including protections against caning. It took another 12 weeks for the deal to be signed, by which time it had already unravelled.

“Its serious flaws, including the inequitable nature of the swap, the 800 cap that could be easily overwhelmed by people smugglers and the absence of human rights protections required by laws introduced by the Howard Government, saw it struck down by the High Court and condemned by both Houses of Parliament.

“Rather than address the policy flaws in their ill conceived and desperate proposal the Government asked the Parliament for a blank cheque to by-pass the High Court decision and remove requirements for enforceable legal protections for asylum seekers. The Government even rejected a Coalition amendment to ensure human rights protections are maintained in the Act by requiring any offshore processing country to be a signatory to the Refugee Convention, a policy Labor took to the 2010 election.

“Since the deal was announced more than 5,700 people have arrived on 80 illegal boats, an average of 480 people a month or 120 people a week.

“The people swap has joined Labor’s long list of border protection failures, including the Oceanic Viking back down, the discriminatory asylum freeze, the East Timor debacle, and the riots and chaos in our detention network.

“Rather than accept responsibility for their failures and restore the policies that worked under the Howard Government, Labor continues to cling to their failed and rejected Malaysian people swap as an excuse.

“Labor has given into the Greens and softened border protection, including their latest initiative – the ‘granny flat solution’, instead of restoring the policies that worked under the Howard Government, including temporary protection visas and reopening the processing centre on Nauru, that could commence today.

“Just last night over 240 people arrived by illegal boat taking the total number of people to arrive under Labor to more than 17,000. More people have come illegally by boat so far this year than arrived at the same time in 2010 – the record year for boat arrivals.

“The Budget will confirm the ongoing cost to taxpayers of Labor’s continued failure. Australians have already had to wear $3.9 billion in border protection budget blow outs and Tuesday night will show this cost just getting higher,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : More than 240 people in one day push boat arrivals over 17,000

Sat, 05 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of two illegal boats, with over 240 people on board, has pushed the total number of arrivals under Labor to more than 17,000 people, adding further pressure to Labor's already weakened budget, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The arrival of more than 240 people in one night is more than half the 450 people the Department of Immigration budgeted would arrive every month under Labor’s community release policies and follows almost 1,000 people arriving during April,” Mr Morrison said.

“Since 2009/10 Labor has blown their budget for asylum seekers by $3.9 billion and currently more than 7,000 asylum seekers are being supported by Australian taxpayers in detention centres or in the community,” he said.

“The arrival of more than 240 people in one day will only add further pressure on Labor’s budget, already weakened by the cost to date of their chronic border failures.

“Boat arrivals are surging, with over 2,500 people having arrived in 2012 and over 5,500 this financial year.

“These numbers show that the only budget Labor have been able to put into surplus has been for the people smugglers.

“Labor's only answer is to blame others for their failure. Blaming the Opposition is not a policy, just another lame excuse from a Government that has given up on border protection" Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Another two more boat arrivals will add further pressure to the already overstretched and underfunded resources of our Border Protection Command.

“With Labor’s new Budget looming, this latest arrival is another example of why the cuts to Customs and the Australian Border Protection Service need to be restored immediately.

“This is an opportunity for new Home Affairs Minister, Jason Clare, to restore the funding that Labor has previously stripped from Australia’s border protection agencies.

“I am concerned for the dire state that our borders would be left in if the Gillard Government once again takes an axe to Customs and Border Protection funding," Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Labor's 'granny flat' solution is desperate and reckless

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Labor’s latest decision to house single adult male asylum seekers released on bridging visas in the spare rooms of Australian families under the Homestay program is a desperate and reckless policy from a government that has lost control of our borders, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“The fact that Australian families are now being asked to house asylum seekers who have arrived illegally by boat, including those whose claims have been rejected, shows just how desperate Labor have become over their failed border protection policies, which have seen almost 17,000 people now arrive on 302 boats,” Mr Morrison said.

“Homestay was designed to provide accommodation to international students who arrive legally with valid visas and study arrangements. It was not designed for single males who arrive on illegal boats, without documentation and are working their way through the taxpayer funded appeals process after having their asylum claims rejected.

“We have already seen in the detention network, including on the suburban streets of Melbourne in community detention, what can happen when asylum seekers do not get the answer they are looking for. Riots, protests, self harm, destruction of property, escapes, sexual assault and assault have all occurred, with charges being laid in some circumstances.

“To place asylum seekers in suburban homes and communities, where there is no consultation with neighbours or the police and just a hotline to call if something goes wrong has all the ingredients of another Labor asylum disaster in the making.

“The sheer scale of Labor's border protection failures has forced them to now effectively deputise suburban householders as Serco officers.

“At the last election Julia Gillard wanted to send asylum seekers to East Timor and then to Malaysia. Now she wants to send them to your granny flat out the back.

“When Australians expressed concern about rising costs of living, this was not an invitation for Julia Gillard to supplement household incomes by offering to pay the rent on your spare room or granny flat for asylum seekers.

“Rather than implement the Coalition’s proven border protection policies to stop the boats, Labor has done the opposite, announcing a 'let them in, let them out' policy for illegal boat arrivals that is only providing another reason for people to get on boats.

“They are now asking Australians to take Labor's border protection failures into their homes. Labor’s failure on our borders has become worse with every decision they have taken,” Mr Morrison said.

*** e-mail sent to Homestay subscribers and Homestay FAQ attached ***

Media Release : Reports of immigration fraud demand answers from Minister Bowen

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Reports of immigration fraud of the family reunion and humanitarian programme revealed on the ABC's 7.30 Report demand clear answers and explanations from Immigration Minister Bowen, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Reports of fraudulent visa applications, including for children, refugees and carers from Islamabad were acknowledged by Department officials in the report. In addition, even where abuses are being picked up by immigration officers, decisions are being overturned by the Government's over generous Migration Review Tribunal in Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

“Once again, the job of explaining these alleged abuses and fraud, and yet another Labor failure in immigration, was left to the Minister's bureaucrats, rather than the Minister himself,” he said.

“If the Government is aware of the problem as Department officials claim, the Minister will be able to answer the following questions:

How many visas involving the mission in Islamabad have been cancelled or refused because of fraud?

How many of these family reunion applications have involved sponsors in Australia who have arrived by boat as Irregular Maritime Arrivals?

How many applications have been reviewed as a result of the discovery of fraud and abuse on other applications?

What grade of risk has been assigned to the post as a result of any audits undertaken, and whether any audits have been undertaken and how many convictions have been recorded.

In relation to the migration of children, whether the Minister is now demanding additional identity checks to be undertaken to prove a family relationship, including DNA testing, and if not, why not?

How many cases have been referred to the Australian Federal Police for further investigation, how many charges have been laid, how many prosecutions have been undertaken and how many convictions have been recorded?

Given the applications will involve sponsors already in Australia on visas, what action has the Minister initiated to review and potentially cancel visas for those believed to be participating in these frauds?

Given that some of these cases allegedly involve matters that have gone before the Migration Review Tribunal, how many of these cases and the individuals involved in these applications that were the subject of these cases are now being reopened and investigated?

What integrity reviews has the Minister initiated into practices and staff in Islamabad and what changes have been initiated to procedures?

Why the Minister has not chosen to suspend assessment of applications from Islamabad while the risk of frauds and abuse may be unacceptably high

“These are just some of the issues the Minister for Immigration must be able to answer in relation to the allegations reported on the ABC's 7.30 program, if we are to have confidence that appropriate action is being taken in relation to these alleged abuses.

“Public confidence in the Gillard Government's ability to run our immigration program is already at rock bottom. Minister Bowen must front up to answer the serious questions that are raised by these reports of fraud and abuse.

“Failure to demonstrate that the Government has already taken substantive action on these issues will be yet further evidence of why Labor can't be trusted on immigration,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Transcript - 6PR Mornings

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 6PR Mornings

Thursday 3rd May 2012

SUBJECT: Labor’s desperate and reckless ‘spare room’ asylum policy

EandOE

ROB BROADFIELD
Scott Morrison has described the policy as desperate and reckless and he joins us now. Scott Morrison, welcome to the program.

MORRISON:
G’day Rob.

BROADFIELD:
Desperate and reckless or an elegant solution to an overcrowding problem?

MORRISON:
It is desperate and reckless because under this government’s failed border protection policies 302 boats have turned up carrying almost 17,000 people. That’s why we are even considering this option now. Before the election Julia Gillard said she wanted to send asylum seekers to East Timor, that failed then she said she wanted to send them to Malaysia well now she wants to send them to the granny flat out the back. It just shows how pathetically failed the government’s policy has now become. This scheme is used to house international students studying in Australia, people from Indonesia studying engineering or something like that. It is designed for that type of outcome, not designed for single males who have already had their asylum claims at least rejected once and are now appealing their claims through the system and put into the community. Since the government announced that policy alone last November we have had an absolute surge of arrivals which has eclipsed even what we have already seen under this government.

BROADFIELD:
Mr Morrison the issues of the asylum seeker or the failure of asylum seeker policy of not, on this specific issue Australians are pretty generous people and don’t mind helping someone in need. What is wrong with them offering the back room to someone who may need it under these sort of circumstances. We are a pretty welcoming country aren’t we?

MORRISON:
Well we are but the only reason this is being required or being considered is because the failure of border protection and the other point I have to make is this – these individuals have a very different profile of risk in terms of those who are normally taken under the Homestay program. In Melbourne late last year we had the situation in community detention where four young people living not in detention centres but in a suburban home in suburban Melbourne when they got news that they didn’t like from the Immigration Department they got on the roof, they cut themselves, the police had to be called and this happened in suburban Melbourne.

BROADFIELD:
But these people are on bridging visas aren’t they, by definition isn’t a bridging visa, halfway towards them becoming…

MORRISON:
No it’s not at all. The reason people are on bridging visas is because the government’s detention centres have overflowed and they have failed to have policies that actually stopped the problem in the first place. These are individuals who in the large part have already had their initial claim rejected. So they have already had a no once and they are already going through the appeals process where they may well get another no. We have found whether in the detention system or out in the community when people get an answer they don’t like there is a risk. Now I am not saying that this will happen in every case but it only has to happen once Rob. That is a risk that I don’t think the government has really fully though through and anyone who is thinking of taking this on should obviously think very carefully because I don’t think the government has.

BROADFIELD:
Mr Morrison, with due respect, this is pretty much dogwhistle politicking isn’t it?

MORRISON:
No I reject that. I absolutely reject it. Every time I have raised concerns about the polices of the government in relation to this someone will come out and call me a racist or xenophobe or something like that. Well I think the Australian people have had an absolute gutful of that Rob. This government has stuffed the policy on our borders and now has been forced into the situation of asking Australians to get involved to rent out the granny flat to deal with Julia Gillard’s mistake. They need to front up to that failure and accept it and need to put back the polices that worked.

BROADFIELD:
The curious angle out of all of this is that in making this announcement today…

MORRISON:
Well they didn’t announce it, we had to expose it Rob. They didn’t tell anyone Rob. We had to expose it and we have.

BROADFIELD:
And it is very damning in a political sense isn’t it? The government can’t win with something like this being front page headlines is it?

MORRISON:
Well they can’t win because they keep failing on policy. This is a desperate policy that has been entered into because of the failures of their existing policies. It just goes from bad to worse under this government. I do not have a beef with any of the individuals. I have a beef with the government that has put polices in place that has led to this mess and they keep making bad decisions. They won’t front up to them and they just allow it to keep getting worse.

BROADFIELD:
Were you in the position to do something about it, what would be your solution?

MORRISON:
Well the first thing I would do is re-open Nauru. I would reintroduce temporary protection visas and restore the policy of turning boats back where it is safe to do so. I would put in polices where people knowingly discarding their documentation we would be presuming against the refugee status and there is a host of other policies we have outlined time and time again. This government has refused to do all of those Rob and as a result now they are looking at bringing their border failures to somebody’s granny flat.

BROADFIELD:
Good on you. Scott Morrison, the Opposition’s Immigration spokesman.

END

Speech : Transcript - 2UE Breakfast Show

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2UE Breakfast Show

Thursday 3rd May 2012

SUBJECTS: Labor’s desperate and reckless ‘spare room’ asylum policy

E and OE

JASON MORRISON:
We have lost our way, haven’t we? We now have decided that really people smuggling should be legitimised and that Australians should be the recipients of part of this now legitimate practise because Australians can get in on the deal as well. You don’t have to buy a boat, you just have to have a few spare beds in your house. The Australian government seriously is floating a proposition to say if you’ve got some spare room at your place, we would like to rent your bed because we’ve got some refugees we’d like to house. And by the way, some of them may not be refugees, some of them may be people we haven’t been one hundred percent sure of their story but what we’ll do is we’ll lease them out and give you a bit of money for it but we’ll do a security check on you first to make sure you’re alright. This is how ludicrous this has come. That thousands of Australian homes may be turned into boarding houses because the mob in Canberra lack the backbone to stop the problem at its source. We’ve never had immigration centres as full as they are. We’ve had more than 2,200 people arrive in this country to date since the start of the calendar year. That’s double this time last year and the solution isn’t let’s go and stop them from coming here, the solution is we’ll just pay people to rent out their rooms. Absolutely inverted and perverted logic. Scott Morrison is the Shadow Immigration Minister. He’s with me this morning. What next?

SCOTT MORRISON:
Well that’s a good question, Jason. This is how ludicrous it’s become. I remember several years ago making the point that it’ll get to the stage where the government will ask you to rent out your back room – well that’s where we’ve got to.

JASON MORRISON:
Yeah it was a joke six months ago.

SCOTT MORRISON:
Well it was, I mean before the last election, Julia Gillard said we’ll send asylum seekers to East Timor. We all know how that ended. Then there was Malaysia. Now she says it’s your granny flat – that’s where they’re going and it just shows how bizarre and pathetic this whole situation has become and it continues to get worse as you have said. The boats are coming at a much faster rate this year and the period that you just compared it to was not some period involved in the Malaysian solution where the government said they had the problem licked, it’s double what it was before the Malaysia solution was announced. At the beginning of last year, things had quietened a bit. It had nothing to do with Malaysia or anything like that and now we’re seeing it completely out of control and now we want Australian families to be deputised as Serco officers.

JASON MORRISON:
The mathematics of this is insulting as well. You know it’s impossible to get the numbers out of this mob as to in fact how much we are paying. But I did the maths this morning and it’s somewhere between about $80-90 000 per person who ends up in detention that it costs Australia, would you agree with that figure?

SCOTT MORRISON:
Yeah I would.

JASON MORRISON:
OK so for 90 days which is what they say typically is the stay in detention, they’ll pay Serco, international corporation, $90,000 per person.

SCOTT MORRISON:
The stay would be longer than that Jason.

JASON MORRISON:
OK but let’s just keep the numbers easy. So 90, divided by 90,000, a $1000 a day. They’ll give you $300 a week to rent out your spare room. I mean, apart from the insult that it’s public money anyway, that’s sort of where their head is.

SCOTT MORRISON:
That’s right and we wouldn’t be having this conversation as we all know had the Government not been so stubborn and got over their pride and just put back the measures they abolished and still refuse to this day to put in place but the other portion I highlight is this Jason - I think this is also bad policy. We’re not talking about accommodating Indonesian students studying accounting at tech college or indeed a university. What we’re talking about here are people who haven’t been found to be refugees. In the vast majority of cases, they’ll be people who’ve already had their initial claim rejected and they’ll be going through the appeals process and ultimately the court system, given what this government has allowed through the courts. Now late last year we saw in Melbourne a very disturbing event where four asylum seekers who were in community detention, not a detention centre, got up on a roof, they self harmed, they cut themselves after they got bad news from the immigration department and these are serious cases we have to be mindful of. Now I’m not saying every case will be like that but this is a risk that I don’t think should have to be taken and the only reason they’re taking it is because they’ve stuffed this up so badly.

JASON MORRISON:
It’s the old patchwork bandaid solution for everything. The families – for every family that decides – I love the way they use the word family to make this sound every nicer - every family that decides to take people on will be trained, will be security checked I mean there is a few thousand dollars to do all of that and don’t worry, they’ll only be there for a 6 week maximum because we’ll move them on then and the rest of the sentence is into paid public housing and then there’ll be another group of people that might be available to do it. This is a serious offer, do they not read the tea leaves as to where Australians heads are on this issue?

SCOTT MORRISON:
Well I think not just on this issue but on so many issues. When Australian families said they had concerns about rising costs of living, I don’t think they thought the response should be for Julia Gillard to rent out your backroom to solve her border protection failures.

JASON MORRISON:
It’s the new stimulus package.

SCOTT MORRISON:
Well yeah it’s some sort of Homestay revolution or something.

JASON MORRISON:
Yes the Rockdale Mattress Factory – right today we’ll be getting orders from everyone saying we’re ready to go, we’ve got some space. A bloke’s jokingly sent me an email this morning who has a small warehouse it’s been empty for three months because people aren’t renting, saying if I put beds in that will I be eligible? I mean that’s the mad and insulting dimension of it.

SCOTT MORRISON:
Maybe he will, as I say we joke about it today but it’s probably going to be government policy in six weeks.

JASON MORRISON:
You never know. I’m taking from all this that it won’t be happening if you get in?

SCOTT MORRISON:
Well one of the problems we’re going to have Jason is if we’re elected at the next election, we’re going to have thousands upon thousands of people in this system who are already here, who already have access to the courts and what I’ve flagged today is I have very big reservations about this, very big reservations so it could be a year and a half before now and the next election and I’ll want to see how this program has worked out in practise and I’m very worried about what’s going to happen in people’s houses. Where’s the – is their consultation with neighbours?

JASON MORRISON:
Well that’s it, I mean I didn’t necessarily expect to have moving in next door to me if that’s what happens someone who’s just left an area of genocide. That may sound like I’m a heartless bastard but you know, you make choices about where you live and they are choices you make and I would think these are real social issues - we’re transferring them further and further into the Australian community. Thanks for talking to me this morning.

SCOTT MORRISON:
Thanks Jason.

JASON MORRISON:
Scott Morrison, the Shadow Immigration Minister.

Ends

Speech : Doorstop interview

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Doorstop interview

Thursday 3rd May 2012

SUBJECTS: Labor’s desperate and reckless ‘spare room’ asylum policy, reports of immigration fraud demand answers from Minister Bowen, Peter Slipper

E and OE

MORRISON:
Before the last election, Julia Gillard said she was going to send asylum seekers to East Timor. That ended in failure. Then she said she’d send them to Malaysia. That ended in failure. Her next plan is to send them to the granny flat in the back of suburban households all across Australia. This is a government who’s been driving to this desperate measure by successive policy failures that they continue to refuse to acknowledge. When Australians have expressed concerns about costs of living, I don’t think the answer they were looking for was for the Gillard Government to subcontract out their border protection crisis to pay out rent for people’s spare rooms for asylum seekers. Now this I think just demonstrates yet again the desperation and the failure that we’ve seen from the government. This is a program that was designed to house international students – students studying engineering or accounting or something like that from Indonesia or Malaysia or Thailand or something of that nature. It was not designed to accommodate single male asylum seekers who in the vast majority of cases would have already had their initial asylum application rejected and are moving through the appeals and the court system. There is a very different risk profile that attaches to these individuals as opposed to those who are just simply studying in Australia.

I think the risks here have not been clearly understood by the Government or they have simply been ignored out of their sense of sheer desperation. Since the community release and bridging visa policy was announced by the government late last November, we have had another surge in illegal boat arrivals. We’ve had the two biggest months on record under this government, including almost 1,000 people in April. So what we see here is a further round of failure – a further round of policy failure and a government that continues to refuse to restore the proven policies of the Coalition.

The other matter I wanted to raise today was the report on 7.30 last night regarding immigration fraud and abuses, principally relating to our mission in Islamabad and the claims by the government that they are aware of these cases. If the Government is truly aware of what’s going in Islamabad and the applications that are being made, then I’d like to know how many matters have been referred to the Australian Federal Police for investigation? How many prosecutions are pending? How many visas have been refused? How many visas have been cancelled? How many of these applications relate to people who are already in Australia seeking a reunion of so-called family members and if that’s the case, and fraud has been established, why haven’t their visas been cancelled? I think what we see here, as we saw last night, is a Minister putting a public official out at the end of a stick to try and explain yet another Labor immigration failure. Minister Bowen when he returns to Australia needs to explain not what he proposes to do but what he has already and should’ve already done and if the answer to that is nothing, then all we can say about that is the reason we’ve had whistleblowers come out in immigration once again is because they’re fed up with the approach of this government to dealing with these serious immigration issues, both on our borders, in our posts, which has seen I think the Australian people lose trust and confidence absolutely in this government’s ability to run a successful program with integrity.

QUESTION:
I watched the program too, you’ll remember that one of the people who worked for the Immigration Department said that people who are perpetrating these kinds of frauds just move onto whatever is the visa fraud de jour as they said, can you confidently say that under a Coalition government we won’t see this kind of fraud continue?

MORRISON:
Well what I can say is that under a Coalition government, if we’re aware of frauds and abuses taking place, we’ll take action. The Minister needs to explain why as yet he has chosen not to suspend the assessment of applications coming through Islamabad. He may have good reasons for doing that, he may not have even considered it, he may have done absolutely nothing to this stage which is my suspicion, given this Minister’s track record on these issues. These challenges present themselves in immigration but the real test of an Immigration Minister is what they actually do to address them when and if they occur and so far to date, we’ve heard nothing from this Minister. If there are serious issues happening and they are acknowledged, then I would’ve thought that the AFP would’ve already had matters referred to them and there would be investigations underway, there would be prosecutions pending, the Minister would be able to say how many visas have been rejected, how many have been refused. This also goes to matters that have been before the Migration Review Tribunal. Now we heard last night that matters that immigration officials believed involved fraud and abuse were actually being accepted in the Migration Review Tribunal. Now if that’s what the Department believes then there should be investigations into the individuals bringing the appeals, there should be a review of their visa status. None of this appears to be taking place and certainly nothing the Minister is prepared to front up and explain to the Australian people on.

QUESTION:
On the government policy that was announced today, they’re pushing the line that this is a temporary measure. Given what we’ve seen in the past with the influx of boat arrivals, are you confident that this would only be a six week period or are we going to see this for a lot longer?

MORRISON:
I’m not confident about anything this Government does on immigration. I mean, they said the Scherger Detention centre was – first, not going to exist before the last election, then it was open, then it was temporary and it’s still open today. This is a Government whose temporary solutions turn out to be permanent failures and they just continue day after day. The asylum stay policy that they’ve now announced I think has very real issues associated with it and I don’t think the Government has really once again thought this through, they’re just stuck in a whirling crisis and grasping at anything that pops up.

QUESTION:
Are there any particular dangers associated with this policy?

MORRISON:
Well I’ve highlighted that the risk profile of those who’d be subject to these policies in Homestay are very different from the international student profile that normally engages these services and the other real problem and challenge here is those who are arriving by boat we know nothing about. Their profile, their identity; these are issues that are substantively unknown and cannot be determined so my advice to Australians considering this is consider it very, very carefully because you can’t be confident that this Government has considered these matters carefully at all.

QUESTION:
Although these are people who’ve been cleared for release into the community, surely if we’re happy for them stay in a hotel in the Government’s pocket, we’re happy to have them stay in our home?

MORRISON:
Well this is a matter that I think individual Australians have to carefully consider but as I said, late last year we had the situation with four people approved for community release who got on top of a roof in a home in suburban Melbourne, they cut themselves, they threatened to throw themselves off, police had to attend the scene, families were stuck on the cul de sac looking up thinking ‘what on earth is going on here?’ Now these things can happen and I think Australians need to be very careful about their involvement in this program because I don’t think the Government is being careful about it, I think they’ve been driven to this out of sheer policy failure desperation in immigration yet again.

QUESTION:
Have you, just on another matter, had any chat with Christopher Pyne lately and the [inaudible] Peter Slipper affair and involvement with James Ashby?

MORRISON:
I think that’s just another government conspiracy which they’ve set up as a diversion to distract Australians from the real issue here and that is the stench that is literally reeking from this Government on a daily basis. It’s the stench of scandal, it’s the stench of failed policy, it’s the stench of deceit and it’s the stench of untrustworthiness of a Government that is simply well past its use-by date.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Thursday 3rd May 2012

SUBJECTS: Labor’s desperate and reckless ‘spare room’ asylum policy, reports of immigration fraud demand answers from Minister Bowen

E and OE

HADLEY:
Scott Morrison is in the studio with me right now.

MORRISON:
G’day Ray.

HADLEY:
How are you?

MORRISON:
Well.

HADLEY:
Could you quite grasp all of this when it came to your attention?

MORRISON:
Well some years ago we literally joked that after the Prime Minister was saying that she was going to send them to East Timor and then she was going to send them to Malaysia that she’d eventually have to send them to your backroom in your granny flat. Well that’s happened. I mean, it’s not a joke it’s actually reality but it does highlight the joke of the government’s border protection failures that that’s the situation we’re now in.

HADLEY:
Ok I’ll get to the story on the 7.30 report about a different type of person coming to our country but there is – they’re linked. They’re linked and you heard from Marion Le as you were coming into the studio where she would normally be someone who would be on the opposite side of the fence to perhaps me and you over these issues but she’s making the point from the 7.30 Report last night where people who are purporting to be Afghans arrive here and are really Pakistanis that we can’t have people here when we don’t know who they are. Now given that these people that are being put in these Homestay Network, Australian Homestay network homes, throw their documents overboard once they board the ship in Indonesia, do we really 100 percent know who they are and should Australian families put their homes at risk by inviting these people into their homes when we don’t specifically know who they are? They might be the best people in Afghanistan/Iraq/Iran or Pakistan, we don’t know but we don’t know, do we?

MORRISON:
We don’t know. Four out of five people who come on boats don’t have any documentation. Many of those would have actually thrown it away, some wouldn’t have had it for other reasons and I think this is one of the real concerns about moving to this step. We don’t know who is coming under these arrangements, despite what checks the government says it might undertake. We’re not talking about Indonesian students studying accounting at university or some other college here, which is what this program – this Homestay program – is designed for. We’re talking about single male asylum seekers who’ve come by boat whose claim in most cases has already been rejected once, it may well have been rejected because we had very little clue about their identity in the first place and they’re now going through the tax-payer funded extensive appeals system. Now last year in Melbourne we saw an instance where four young asylum seekers who were staying in community detention, not in the detention network formally, got up on a roof after they got some bad news from the immigration department, committed acts of self-harm and police were called to a Melbourne suburb. Now I’m not saying this would happen in every case but it is certainly a genuine risk.

HADLEY:
Is it being sold to these people who are part of the Australian Homestay Network that you’re getting – you know, the nuclear family, mum dad and a couple of kids? Now that would be impossible, given that the great percentage of people arriving here on those boats are adult males.

MORRISON:
And that’s who’s going into Homestay. It’s not families going into Homestay, they go into community detention and we talked about that some time ago with the start-up packages of $10,000 and all of that. This is another program. This is the granny flat program that Julia Gillard is pushing on the Australian public now and there’s no suggestion in the documents that we’ve obtained under this that the police are involved in the decision, there’s no requirement to consult with your neighbours or anything like this. Australian families have got cost of living pressures, Ray, but I don’t think the answer is for Julia Gillard to rent the backroom out to pay for asylum seeker failures.

HADLEY:
See and they don’t read the electorate really well because every email I’m getting, and there are dozens of them pouring in as you came on air, are saying basically the same thing as Ken said earlier – what about the homeless people? What about the disaffected Australians who are already here, who are living in the most dire circumstances, what about the young mothers who are living in the back of a car with their children because they’ve been deserted by a husband and they can’t get accommodation from the state?

MORRISON:
Well the community detention and community release – the ‘let them in, let them out’ policy that the government announced last November is obviously a massive pull factor for people to get on boats but the other problem with it is Ray that they are now directly competing for the resources of accommodation and various other services in the community that are very much needed. It’s the Red Cross who are actually arranging this – now the Red Cross I think has a pretty important job to do more broadly in our community and this is a diversion of resources and it all happens because 17,000 people turned up on 302 boats.

HADLEY:
OK. I’ve got the letter in front of me that’s been sent to some of these families who’ve already listed themselves to be a Homestay offerer but not for these people, for students as you’ve said. The Community Placement Network – the CPN – is the initiative of the Australian Homestay Network in collaboration with the Red Cross, which you say, to make short term homestay accommodation accessible to asylum seekers exiting immigration detention on a bridging visa. CPN offers interested people the opportunity to host an eligible asylum seeker in their home for a six week period. What happens after six weeks? Does someone manufacture a house somewhere that no one knows about and they mysteriously disappear from the billeted situation to a home? That doesn’t work.

MORRISON:
They’ve got no idea and given we’re got 200 people extra arriving a month on what the government was already predicting, we will see this go from six weeks to three months and onwards and onwards.

HADLEY:
So in other words, the six weeks is a sweetener to say they’ll only be there for six weeks, try getting them out.

MORRISON:
Well they’ve said in there that if something goes wrong and I’ve talked about some of the things that can go wrong and it usually happens when they get a bad decision out of the system, you can call a helpline. There’s a 1800 number or whatever it is they can call. Now that will be a fat lot of good if you’ve got a serious situation.

HADLEY:
Akmal’s on the roof, I’ll just dial – I won’t ring the coppers and get Andrew Scipione’s officers around in NSW or the Commissioner’s officers from Queensland around, I’ll ring this helpline while Akmal’s up on the roof.

MORRISON:
Well I’ll tell you what they will do, they won’t bother about the helpline, they will ring the local police and we’ll have local police turning out to these sorts of issues and our police in Sydney as we all know have got a big job at the moment with the guns that are coming into this country under Labor’s failed border protection polices.

HADLEY:
OK here’s ‘frequently asked questions’ for hosts. As a host, how does it work? You’d be required to provide your guest with a clean, safe and adequately furnished room. A guest will need to have access to a bathroom, kitchen and laundry. The CPN Homestay arrangement only includes the room. A host can discuss inclusions further to the Homestay arrangement through private agreement with their guest, such as the option of including meals during the Homestay period. Well hang on a sec, the $300 is to cover food and board for detainees. That’s what the Telegraph’s reporting -that they’ve got from the Australian Homestay Network because I thought you’ve got a bloke in there eating a fair lot of money, there’s not a whole lot of profit margin in this, you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart but now I read that it only provides for board, if they want to be fed, they’ve got to whack up a bit more money, where do they get it from?

MORRISON:
Well they’ll get 89% of the Newstart allowance because on top of having the accommodation, they’ll be accessing a welfare payment as well. Now all of this we’re going to get into when Parliament resumes next week and beyond and we’ll be asking a lot of questions but, you know, we were asking these questions for a few months and they didn’t give any inkling that they were going down this path, we had to find this out for ourselves and we have and I think it’s important people know what the government’s doing.

HADLEY:
OK let’s get to the 7.30 Report because that was the thrust of our conversation before this story arrived on our desk this morning when we arrived. They featured a story on the 7.30 Report last night on fraud in visa applications – now completely separate to what I call illegal boat people, what the papers have to call asylum seekers because of a ruling by the Press Council which is another issue. There they were, we’ve got whistleblowers from inside the Department, former officers from the Department of Immigration telling us that people come to Islamabad who are Pakistanis pretending to be Afghans because they went away and got some sort of identification to say they were Afghan, not Pakistani, applying to come here and then they say no, the officers investigate, then they apply to the Migration Review Tribunal which is a government funded organisation back in Australia and more often than not, they appear to be saying ‘yes’ to the people who are arriving here, then you have the ongoing problem of family reunion. Then they were talking about young girls being brought out here for arranged marriages –

MORRISON:
- and children. But the point here is Ray, the point you make about the Migration Review Tribunal is the link. The people who are making these applications are family members of people already in Australia, that’s why they can take a case to the Migration Review Tribunal so what you’ve got and it may well be that there are many asylums seekers who have come by boat and now making applications to bring their family members out and that is what is going through the Islamabad post and that is what is now being reviewed in the courts. Now on the program last night, the Minister was nowhere to be seen, he put a bureaucrat out on the end of the stick to go and have to explain all this and they said they believed there was a problem. Well what I want to know is what action is taken? It’s a big thing for a department official to become a whistleblower on this and they wouldn’t do that if they thought the government’s response on this was adequate and if they did know about it, how many cases have been referred to the Federal Police? How many prosecutions are pending? How many visas have been cancelled? How many fraud investigations have got to the point where they’ve reviewed the security status of the Islamabad post and why has the Minister chosen so far not to suspend assessment of applications? I’m not necessarily saying that would necessary but he should at least have considered it and have a pretty good answer as to why he hasn’t done it. The Minister has answered none of these questions and it suggests to me that this is just another smokescreen for another Labor immigration failure and that’s why the Australian people have lost complete confidence in this mob.

HADLEY:
They couldn’t get the figures last night on the 7.30 Report, does the Opposition have access to any figures in relation to this and what’s done with these people?

MORRISON:
Well these are the exact questions I’m now asking because if the Minister says through his officials that they know that this is a problem, well he should know. He should know exactly how many visas. I mean, how many cases before the Migration Review Tribunal, because what the official said last night is they know something dodgy was going on, they were saying no and then the family member of the person back here in Australia takes it to the Migration Review Tribunal and it all gets overturned. Now if there are dodgy things going on, those cases should be reviewed, those people involved in lodging those appeals should be being interviewed and if necessary, by the Australian Federal Police and I want to know why that’s not happening.

HADLEY:
I saw the official from the Migration Review Tribunal say last night the reason why we allow them is because when they’re knocked back in Islamabad, they then know why they’ve been knocked back and they find further information which we then review. So in other words, they get the lies, they find out they’ve been knocked back because of some part of the lie, they then lie a bit more and the MRT fall over themselves wringing their hands to accommodate them.

MORRISON:
Well that’s true and let’s not forget that in recent times the government has now opened the Refugee Review Tribunal to all boat arrivals now, we didn’t provide that. They’re now doing that so this opens up another channel so look, you’re right Ray, it is a question of something very dodgy allegedly going on, the Department says they know about it, the Minister’s nowhere to be seen as usual, he’s hiding under a desk in India I think somewhere today and he should really, when he gets back to Australia, explain this. But I want to know what action he’s already taken – not what he says he’s now going to do – because they say they already know about it.

HADLEY:
Ok let’s take some calls, a couple of people. We didn’t tell Scott that we’d do this but there are people wanting to ask I think reasonable questions that he could answer better than myself. So Leanne’s online from down there from Bargo in NSW, G’day Leanne.

CALLER:
Hi Ray how are you? Listen, my question is – this $300 that we’re offering, come tax time, is it tax free or do we get hit with an extra income tax bill at tax time?

HADLEY:
So you’re talking about the people who are billeting these people, is that declared as income?

CALLER:
Because it will become an earning, won’t it?

MORRISON:
My assumption is that would be right, it would be just like rent if you were a property owner. I can check that for you Ray but that would be my assumption.

HADLEY:
It’s a very good question, thank you Leanne I appreciate it.

MORRISON:
You have to pay tax on it as well, there you go.

HADLEY:
Another caller saying and I think it’s a general – are you worried about the safety of people inside the home if these boat people are put there without the sort of checks you need? Well we’ve discussed that already.

MORRISON:
Of course and that is a real risk. I’m not going to suggest that it’s a risk that exists in every case but when you don’t know who people are, how can you assess it? That’s why I think this scheme, which was designed for students, is not appropriate for this pathway which the other Homestay provider, Ray, in your earlier email, agreed with.

HADLEY:
Yeah ok. Kerry g’day.

CALLER:
Ray, for heaven’s sake mate, wouldn’t you think someone in there would ring the alarm bell when this got put up? Wouldn’t you think that someone could see that this is going to be pink batts tenfold? They’re going to put people from a country that has no respect, no understanding for Western women, Western culture, no checks being made – this will be pink batts tenfold and I can predict this is going to be an absolute disaster and I don’t understand why somebody, just anybody in there doesn’t ring the bell.

HADLEY:
Well Kerry I can answer that. You are dealing with an organisation who’ve lent support to Craig Thomson over a long period of time, who of course introduced as you said pink batts, who’ve introduced the NBN and the climate commission and that’s not costed into the budget and there’s about 50 or 60 billion there which is not included in expenditure in the Budget to be announced next week so even though they say we’re pretending to have a $1.5 billion surplus – we wont’ because they haven’t included somewhere between $50, 60 or 70 billion in the budget. You’re talking about people that’ve done the BER, you’re talking about a Prime Minister who said before the last election there’ll be no carbon tax under any government I need. You’re talking about some bona fide, gold plated, gold carat nincompoops.

CALLER:
We’re one on this Ray, I just wish they’d pass the baton…

HADLEY:
Scott Morrison just one final thing – we have to wind it up. Before a boat even bypassed our continent and got to the Shaky isles, their government has said no, we’re having the equivalent of temporary protection visas – you get three years and then we’ll review it. That was a sniff that ten Chinese nationals may be sailing there so they did what we all should do and introduce this. So the New Zealand government reacts when there’s a sniff of ten people arriving, how many have we had under this government?

MORRISON:

Just shy of 17,000 on 302 boats and the same thing happened a couple of years ago in Canada when a large boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers turned up and they reacted with temporary protection visas as well so you know they all got it without even having to be assisted. This government just doesn’t get it.

HADLEY:
Couple more – Chris says, will the $300 have to cover food and utility costs? Well according to the document from the organisation providing the accommodation, no it’s just for board.

MORRISON:
Yeah I mean some of that is still unclear and we’ll get to the bottom of that in parliament.

HADLEY:
And one other thing – quickly Joan you have to make it quick, I’ve got to go. You wanted to ask Scott Morrison one question, love?

CALLER:
Yes I do. I daresay Australian families with children in the family wouldn’t be allowed to have them because I would daresay they’d have to have background checks similar to what bus drivers, school teachers, childcare workers, to say they’re safe to be around children.

HADLEY:
Well said.

MORRISON:
Well the people going into these homes won’t be children, they’ll be single males but they’ll be able to go into the homes of Australian families where I’m sure there will be children and that will be a decision those householders will take but they need to take it carefully.

HADLEY:
Well I think the point Joan’s making is not the householder having a background check but the fact that the householder may have children in the house –

MORRISON:
That’s right.

HADLEY:
And you’re inviting someone into your home without a background check.

MORRISON:
This decision – people need to think carefully about this because the government I don’t think has.

HADLEY:
Alright then, thanks for coming in Scott.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot Ray, good to be with you.

HADLEY:
Scott Morrison, the Shadow Immigration Minister talking to us.

Ends

Media Release : Morrison and Kelly seek assurances on ANSTO waste

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison and Federal Member for Hughes, Craig Kelly will meet with senior management of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation for a full explanation on plans to temporarily store medical and scientific research waste at the facility.

“I will be asking ANSTO for a full explanation of what is intended to be temporarily stored at the Lucas Heights facility including the approvals and oversight process involved and the Federal Government standards that must be followed,” Mr Morrison said.

“The safety and security of Sutherland Shire residents must be the pivotal concern in any such proposal and must be guaranteed. Nothing less will be acceptable,” he said.

“While reports indicate that this will be a small amount of waste stored at the ANSTO facility temporarily and that there is no risk to the surrounding community, Sutherland Shire residents expect that no compromise is made on safety.

“This waste must be stored at ANSTO temporarily. The Federal Government must meet a commitment to build a permanent storage facility away from Australian population centres in five years.

“The ANSTO facility has been part of the Shire for decades and makes an important contribution to our local economy, while supporting local schools and providing a hub for scientific research.

“The facility has an excellent track record, however with these types of facilities there is no margin for error,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Kelly, who has lived in the Menai area that is home to the Lucas Heights facility for more than two decades, said: “Obviously local residents, such as myself, recognise the situation is not ideal and that a national repository for long term storage away from population centres should be a priority.

“There are currently over 100 sites storing low and intermediate level waste, including the storage facilities already in place at Lucas Heights that have been there for decades.”

“A national repository is required for the long term storage of low and intermediate level waste produced in this country.”

“At the same time we shouldn’t forget that one in two Australians benefit from nuclear medicine over their lifetime and it is the Lucas Heights facility that gives Australians access to these remarkable medical advances,” Mr Kelly said.

Media Release : Labor should follow kiwi lead on TPVs as boat 302 arrives

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The illegal arrival of 13 boats and almost 1,000 people in April, including another overnight comes at the same time as the New Zealand Government has announced it will introduce temporary protection visas, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The New Zealand Prime Minister has seen the wisdom of introducing TPVs after just one boat sought to make its way to New Zealand and decided to stay in Darwin. Prime Minister Gillard refuses to restore TPVs after 302 boats have turned up as a result of Labor’s soft border policies,” Mr Morrison said.

“Illegal boat arrivals carrying 971 people in April were the second highest on record for this Government. The record was set only last December when 991 people turned up on illegal boats,” he said.

“We have now had our two highest levels of monthly arrivals on record under this Government since they announced their 'let them in, let them out' policy of community release and bridging visas last November.

“Rather than restore the policies that worked, Labor continue to make excuses and blame others for their failures. If the New Zealand Government can introduce TPVs then Prime Minister Gillard has no excuse for not doing the same,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “As the 30th boat of 2012 arrives carrying 27 people, bringing the total number of illegal arrivals under Labor to almost 17,000, it is clear to all Australians that under a Gillard Government there is no semblance of a border protection regime.

“This rapid rate of arrivals is a direct response to a Labor Government that is once again too busy dealing with its own internal scandals and leadership problems to effectively control the crisis that is occurring at our borders.

“The Prime Minister and her Cabinet may continue to use smoke and mirrors tricks but at the end of the day these extraordinarily high numbers speak loud and clear about the state of Australia’s borders.

“Labor has no intention of offering any viable solutions to stop people smuggling – only an election and a Coalition Government will restore order and control to our Border Protection Command,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Gillard delivers budget surplus for people smugglers as $1.6 million boat arrives

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The illegal arrival of the largest boat in more than two years, carrying 170 people, will yield more than $1.6 million for people smugglers highlighting that their trade is roaring under Labor's soft border policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The only budget surplus the Gillard Government has delivered has been for the people smugglers, with illegal boat arrivals continuing to surge in 2012,” Mr Morrison said.

“More than 940 people have turned up on 12 illegal boats so far this month, with the latest carrying 170 people, the largest in more than two years. More people have turned up by boat since Anzac Day than in the last six years of the Howard Government,” he said.

“Labor has simply given up on border protection and given in to the Greens, continuing to soften policy.

“Labor's 'let them in, let them out' policy has supercharged the people smugglers’ product, with more than 3,300 people turning up on 42 boats since the introduction of Labor's community release plan for single male asylum seekers on bridging visas.

“Labor's only answer is to offer lame excuses and to seek to blame others for their own hopeless policy failures. After more than 300 illegal boat arrivals Labor still cannot accept responsibility,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “With the arrival of the second boat in as many days it is clear that the people smugglers have well and truly cemented their control over Australia's borders.

“The hard working men and women of our Border Protection Command continue to face an uphill battle with no support from Labor.

“When our country is facing a complete crisis at our borders, it seems the only response Labor can offer is an excuse.

“The Gillard Government can no longer afford to ignore one of the principle roles of the Commonwealth - protecting our borders,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : 300th boat arrival under Labor, yet another milestone of failure on our borders

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Labor has wracked up another milestone of failure on our borders, with the arrival of the 300th illegal boat on their watch, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The latest illegal boat arrival, with 60 people on board, is the 300th boat and the 300th border protection policy failure under Labor,” Mr Morrison said.

“As Labor continues to be weighed down by stench and scandal, 300 boats confirm that border protection is Julia Gillard’s worst policy failure. This Prime Minister has presided over the complete dismantling of Australia’s once strong border protection system with people smugglers the only winners,” he said.

“Labor’s 300 boats have resulted in $3.9 billion in budget blow outs and counting, chaos, rioting and the collapse of our detention network, the Oceanic Viking debacle, East Timor farce, the Malaysia five for one people swap failure and $160 million dollars in profits for people smugglers.

“Over half of Labor’s 300 boat arrivals have come on Julia Gillard’s watch. This is the Prime Minister who promised to smash the people smugglers’ business model but has become the people smugglers’ stimulus model with her continued failures on our borders.

“Almost 17,000 people have now arrived under Labor’s failed policies and people smugglers have ramped up their efforts since Labor announced their Greens policy of let them in, let them out for boat arrivals in November last year.

“As the milestones of failure mount, the government’s only policy is to blame the Coalition. This is not a real policy but a pathetic attempt to deflect attention from their failures and hide from accountability.

“Only the Coalition is serious about border protection and will implement proven policies that will stop the boats,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The 300th illegal boat arrival since Labor unravelled the Coalition’s strong border protection policies is a harsh reality check.

“There are no signs of this constant stream of boat arrivals relenting whilst the Gillard Government remain in power.

“With no semblance of a border protection policy, Labor seems content to simply sit back and watch the people smugglers make their fortune at the expense of endangering thousands of lives.

“It has been made crystal clear by the Gillard Government that they are only interested in blaming others for their own incompetence rather than acting in the national interest and the Australian people won’t be offered any viable solutions by the Labor Party to this border protection crisis,” Mr Keenan said.

Boat arrivals since Labor abolished the Howard Government’s proven border protection policies -

30 September 2008, 6 October 2008, 20 November 2008, 28 November 2008, 3 December 2008, 7 December 2008, 16 December 2008, 17 January 2009, 14 March 2009, 2 April 2009, 2 April 2009, 8 April 2009, 15 April 2009, 22 April 2009, 25 April 2009, 29 April 2009, 29 April 2009, 5 May 2009, 10 May 2009, 25 May 2009, 9 June 2009, 15 June 2009, 23 June 2009, 28 June 2009, 11 July 2009, 13 August 2009, 29 August 2009, 7 September 2009, 12 September 2009, 13 September 2009, 15 September 2009, 16 September 2009, 23 September 2009, 27 September 2009, 27 September 2009, 30 September 2009, 1 October 2009, 9 October 2009, 12 October 2009, 18 October 2009, 21 October 2009, 22 October 2009, 23 October 2009, 26 October 2009, 29 October 2009, 4 November 2009, 5 November 2009, 14 November 2009, 15 November 2009, 16 November 2009, 16 November 2009, 20 November 2009, 23 November 2009, 26 November 2009, 26 November 2009, 27 November 2009, 3 December 2009, 4 December 2009, 6 December 2009, 9 December 2009, 10 December 2009, 15 December 2009, 18 December 2009, 26 December 2009, 28 December2009, 29 December 2009, 30 December 2009, 31 December2009, 3 January 2010, 3 January 2010, 8 January 2010, 10 January 2010, 13 January 2010, 22 January 2010, 23 January 2010, 26 January 2010, 1 February 2010, 4 February 2010, 6 February 2010, 12 February 2010, 18 February 2010, 20 February 2010, 24 February 2010, 25 February 2010, 28 February 2010, 3 March 2010, 6 March 2010, 7 March 2010, 10 March 2010, 11 March 2010, 11 March 2010, 13 March 2010, 19 March 2010, 21 March 2010, 23 March 2010, 23 March 2010, 24 March 2010, 27 March 2010, 29 March 2010, 29 March 2010, 31 March 2010, 3 April 2010, 4 April 2010, 6 April 2010, 7 April 2010, 8 April 2010, 10 April 2010, 10 April 2010 11 April 2010, 11 April 2010 16 April 2010, 21 April 2010, 22 April 2010, 26 April 2010, 27 April 2010, 28 Apr 2010, 29 April 2010, 3 May 2010, 6 May 2010, 9 May 2010, 10 May 2010, 10 May 2010, 11 May 2010, 12 May 2010, 13 May 2010, 16 May 2010, 17 May 2010, 18 May 2010, 30 May 2010, 4 June 2010, 4 June 2010, 5 June 2010, 5 June 2010, 8 June 2010, 12 June 2010, 12 June 2010, 16 June 2010, 18 June 2010, 18 June 2010, 23 June 2010, 26 June 2010, 2 July 2010, 4 July 2010, 6 July 2010, 12 July 2010, 13 July 2010, 14 July 2010, 21 July 2010, 21 July 2010, 28 July 2010, 10 August 2010, 15 August 2010, 17 August 2010, 18 August 2010, 21 August 2010, 22 August 2010, 26 August 2010, 28 August 2010, 31 August 2010, 1 September 2010, 2 September 2010, 7 September 2010, 14 September 2010, 20 September 2010, 29 September 2010, 1 October 2010, 1 October 2010, 4 October 2010, 7 October 2010, 8 October 2010, 8 October 2010, 9 October 2010, 11 October 2010, 13 October 2010, 21 October 2010, 22 October 2010, 23 October 2010, 24 October 2010, 27 October 2010 28 October 2010, 2 November 2010, 2 November 2010, 3 November 2010, 3 November 2010, 5 November 2010, 6 November 2010, 8 November 2010, 11 November 2010, 17 November 2010, 18 November 2010, 24 November 2010, 25 November 2010, 26 November 2010, 30 November 2010, 1 December 2010, 10 December 2010, 11 December 2010, 14 December 2010, 15 December 2010, 16 December 2010, 19 December 2010, 21 December 2010, 25 December 2010, 4 January 2011, 8 January 2011, 6 February 2011, 8 February 2011, 20 February 2011, 26 February 2011, 4 March 2011, 4 March 2011, 12 March 2011, 6 March 2011, 17 March 2011, 1 March 2011, 30 March 2011, 8 April 2011, 12 April 2011, 17 April 2011, 22 April 2011, 22 April 2011, 29 April 2011, 5 May 2011, 7 May 2011, 14 May 2011, 16 May 2011, 16 May 2011, 30 May 2011, 4 June 2011, 7 June 2011, 24 June 2011, 8 July 2011, 21 July 2011, 21 July 2011, 24 July 2011, 31 July 2011, 7 August 2011, 11 August 2011, 12 August 2011, 19 August 2011, 9 September 2011, 23 September 2011, 23 September 2011, 28 September 2011, 1 October 2011, 19 October 2011, 19 October 2011, 23 October 2011, 23 October 2011, 30 October 2011, 1 November 2011, 2 November 2011, 6 November 2011, 8 November 2011, 14 November 2011, 21 November 2011, 22 November 2011, 23 November 2011, 23 November 2011, 31 November 2011, 1 December 2011, 2 December 2011, 2 December 2011, 6 December 2011, 6 December 2011, 8 December 2011, 9 December 2011, 9 December 2011, 13 December 2011, 14 December 2011, 16 December 2011, 24 December 2011, 2 January 2012, 2 January 2012, 7 January 2012, 17 January 2012, 19 January 2012, 11 February 2012, 15 February 2012, 15 February 2012, 17 February 2012, 17 February 2012, 18 February 2012, 21 February 2012, 22 February 2012, 22 February 2012, 6 March 2012, 13 March 2012, 24 March 2012, 2 April 2012, 3 April 2012, 5 April 2012, 6 April 2012, 11 April 2012, 11 April 2012, 13 April 2012, 14 April 2012, 18 April 2012, 25 April 2012, 27 April 2012

Media Release : 299th boat arrives as Labor consumed by scandal

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with 52 people on board, is the 299th to arrive on Labor’s watch, leaving a distracted Labor Government consumed by scandal on the cusp of yet another milestone of failure on border protection, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said.

“While Labor remains consumed and distracted by scandal and incompetence, people smugglers continue to send illegal boats at will. Over 2,000 people have arrived this year alone, almost double the number that arrived this time last year and the 300th boat arrival under Labor will only be a matter of time,” Mr Morrison said.

“People smugglers are continuing to react aggressively to Labor’s decision to capitulate to the Greens and announce their let them in, let them out policy on boat arrivals of community release.

“This month alone ten boats have arrived with over 700 people on board, double the number of people who arrived last April.

“With yet another milestone of failure upon them, the government’s only policy is to blame the Coalition. This is not a real policy but a pathetic attempt to deflect attention from their failures and hide from accountability.

“Only the Coalition is serious about border protection and will implement the proven border protection policies needed to stop the boats,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Once again the Labor Party’s soft policies on border protection have opened the flood gates to our borders, with the interception of another illegal vessel carrying 50 passengers and 2 crew.

“In the same way that criminal gangs continue to smuggle illegal guns through our porous borders, the people smugglers continue to decide who comes into our country by monopolising Labor’s failure on border protection.

“How bad does the situation have to get before Labor concedes that this border protection crisis of their own making, which has so far cost the Australian taxpayer almost $4billion, can only be fixed by reinstating offshore processing on Nauru, Temporary Protection Visas and turning the boats around when it is safe to do so.

“Until the Gillard Government restores the Coalition’s proven policies, the boats will continue to come and the people smugglers will continue to profit from this evil trade that places people’s lives at risk,” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - 6PR Paul Murray Show

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 6PR Paul Murray Show

Thursday 26th April 2012

SUBJECTS: Reports government will raise annual migrant intake; skilled migration

E and OE

MURRAY:
Earlier this week the union movement ramped up its campaign to force mining companies to train more young Australians as a way of meeting the skills shortages being caused by the unprecedented demands of this mining boom. The construction and mining union accused the miners of providing no money for training and only being interested in importing labour from overseas. And the union accused governments, both State and Federal of being complicit in seeing foreign workers as the solution to the skills shortage problem. Well, it seems they were right on the mark. The West Australian newspaper reports on page 1 today that Treasurer Wayne Swan and his boffins are hatching a plan to significantly increase the annual intake of permanent skilled migrants. In fact, the West reports there are plans to raise the migration level from the previous bipartisan level of around 180,000 a year to 230,000 which would be an all time record. So they now don’t even want to meet the demands of the boom through 457 temporary visas for foreign workers but through a massive influx of permanent migrants, most of them with skills obtained overseas. One immediate effect of that, of course, would be to reduce the pressure to train Australians to meet the skills demand. It’ll also be interesting to see how the Gillard government intends to make such a big increase fit within its recent population strategy, designed to get away from Kevin Rudd’s idea of a big Australia which was seen as politically unsellable and help reduce the pressure on congested cities by redirecting population growth to regional areas. Scott Morrison is the Opposition’s Migration spokesperson and he joins me now. Morning Scott.

MORRISON:
G’day, how are you?

MURRAY:
Well thanks Scott. This story on page 1 of the West today could only have come from Treasurer Wayne Swan’s office. It says Treasury favours a total migrant intake of 230,000 a year to meet the skills demand of the mining boom, is that justified?

MORRISON:
Well I think the Treasurer has to be a lot more upfront with people about what he’s up to here. Less than one in five people who come under the permanent program end up in Western Australia. It’s the least most effective way to target getting people to the states and places and the jobs and the industries of all the programs. The one thing I’m quite sure the Treasurer’s aware of is if you bump up your migration program in the Budget, you’re able to bump up your revenue figures as well so forgive me for being a little cynical but the Treasurer’s commitment to skilled migration is a little coincidental with his budget crisis.

MURRAY:
Yes we’re not actually seeing the skilled migration program - of course is within the total migration program - we’re not actually seeing the figures that they’re eventually talking about which might be made up of skilled migrants.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right.

MURRAY:
But they are talking about – the story says that they’re supporting treasury to take the total migrant intake to 230,000. From memory, that figure’s 50,000 more than the annual level that was recommended in Peter Costello’s Intergenerational Reports. You used to work on 180,000 didn’t you?

MORRISON:
Well we’re conflating two figures. The 180,000 is net overseas migration so that’s all temporary and permanent – the net of those two but we are talking about with what the Treasurer’s said to have put out there an increase in the migration program, the Permanent program. Now the issue here is exactly what you said before – are all those additional places going to be for skills? In our view, in my view in particular, I think the only justification for expanding the program is for skills and the more important issue is what type of skilled migration? How are we going to get people over to the West and up into North Queensland and places like this because under the permanent program you can come and live wherever you like. The figures show pretty plainly that more than half the people who turn up under our permanent program end up in NSW and Victoria. Now the real need is to get people into jobs in the West and so you do that through two ways; one is by focusing more on temporary skilled migration and liberalising the 457 process for Western Australia in particular but the other way is by having incentives to get Australians off the east coast and onto the west coast by giving them those transfer incentives that we’ve talked about and our employment participation policies.

MURRAY:
These figures of 230,000 bandied about brings up the debate about big Australia again which Labor tried to walk from because as you said, it plays into all these arguments about congested cities and particularly Sydney, which are politically unpalatable.

MORRISON:
They’re not just politically unpalatable, they have very real impacts on the quality of life in say Sydney and Melbourne and lazily just bumping up the permanent migration program to get your budget figures to look better won’t result in dealing with the shortages we’re seeing in Western Australia. It will put more pressure on Sydney and Melbourne without any real purpose behind it. We support skilled migration and we particularly support it in places like the West where it is really genuinely needed but it’s needed in particular places and you need to be quite targeted about this. I think Australians have had a gutful of unplanned, unrestrained migration without having a serious look at what it’s for, where it should go and how you’re going to make sure that happens.

MURRAY:
Scott I suppose it comes down to this question here. Should the peaks of the mining boom’s demands be met by temporary or permanent migration?

MORRISON:
Temporary. This is, I think, the real answer to that question and the longer term demands should be achieved by building up your Australian labour force through skills programs and what are very difficult policies and objectives in trying to get the Australian population to be a lot more mobile. It is very difficult to achieve so I don’t want to raise hopes there but that’s the way you do it. Greater net interstate migration from the east coast to the west coast I think is a critical population objective for any government and it’s certainly one that I’d be focused on.

MURRAY:
Thanks for talking to us Scott.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot.

MURRAY:
Scott Morrison, Opposition’s immigration spokesperson.

Ends

Media Release : Scott Morrison and Jason Clare launch the next Mateship Trek

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Federal Member for Cook Scott Morrison and Federal Member for Blaxland Jason Clare today announced that they will spend the next year organising and training for their next Mateship Trek – along the 'Black Cat' Track between Wau and Salamaua in Northern Papua New Guinea.

This will be the third Mateship Trek organised by Jason and Scott since they were elected to Parliament in 2007. The first Mateship Trek was along the Kokoda Track in 2009. The second retraced the Sandakan Death March in Malaysian Borneo in 2011.

The next Mateship Trek will take place over the Anzac Day period next year and will involve eight young people, over the age of eighteen, from the electorates of Blaxland and Cook. Scott and Jason will also select four other extraordinary young people from around the country to join them.

“This Mateship Trek is all about three things - raising money for charity, raising awareness of our military history and building friendships between young people in the areas Scott and I represent,” Mr Clare said.

“If two blokes from different political parties can be mates so can people from different religions and backgrounds. Walking in the footsteps of Australian soldiers makes it clear how much we have in common and the responsibility we all have to live a life worthy of their sacrifice.”

Mr Morrison said, "These mateship treks enable us to pay tribute to our diggers by ensuring their sacrifices are not forgotten and, more importantly, that their memories are carried on by a new generation who have had the privilege to walk in their footsteps.

"They are also an opportunity for young people with very different experiences of Australian life to come together and discover what they have in common, namely the inheritance they share as Australians from the sacrifice of our Defence forces, both past and present.”

The 'Black Cat Track' covers an area of Northern PNG that was the scene for a series of bloody battles during 1943 that were, in many ways, the sequel to the Kokoda and Buna/Gona campaigns of the previous year.

Although not as well known as the Kokoda campaign, the battles fought along the ‘Black Cat Track’ were some of the most important fought by Australian forces in the Second World War.

After repelling the surge of Japanese forces in early 1943 to defend the allied base and airstrip at Wau, Australian forces then combined to force the Japanese back over the 'bloody ranges', supported by American troops, to retake Salamaua in September 1943.

The trek will retrace the path of many of these battles from the defence of Wau, then along the track to Guadagasal, Vickers Ridge, Mubo, Bobdubi Ridge, then down to "The Coconuts" and along the Francisco River to Salamaua.

Like Kokoda, these battles were captured by award winning wartime filmmaker Damien Parer. His film "Assault on Salamaua" included the iconic footage of Sergeant Gordon Ayre assisting Private William Johnson, his head heavily bandaged after being injured by a grenade, across a swollen Allen Creek in the pouring rain (http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/127971).

The campaigns had many other heroes such as stretcher-bearer Corporal Leslie 'Bull' Allen and the courageous Captain William Sherlock. These and many others will have their stories retold by the trekkers along the track, who will each carry the name and memory of one serviceman who took part in the battles.

The 'Black Cat Track' is often cited as one of the most arduous treks in the world, crossing untouched mountainous jungle. It is referred to by the Lonely Planet guidebook as “suitable only for masochists and Israeli Paratroopers”.

However, the physical challenge of the trek will be secondary to the tribute paid to our soldiers and the task of raising funds to support the people of the villages along the track, the descendants of another band of fuzzy wuzzy angels who did so much to support our soldiers during the Second World War.

The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, is the patron of the Mateship Trek. Once again we will be seeking the support of community organisations and Australian companies to assist the young people involved raise money for the trek and for those we are trying to help.

More information about the Black Cat trail and imagery can be accessed at: http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/pushingback/wausalamaua.html

Media Release : Joint media release - Labor's 'building the detention centre revolution' costs each Woodside resident over $38K

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Chris Bowen’s attempts to spin Labor’s border failures as good for the Woodside community and good for Australia, shows just how desperate and out of touch Labor has become on their border protection failures, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Federal Member for Mayo, Jamie Briggs said.

“Labor’s spin has no limits, trying to cynically pass off their border failures as some type of economic stimulus package for local residents. It’s a joke,” Mr Morrison said.

“It shows just how desperate and out of touch the Gillard Government has become. Not content with creating chaos on our borders and in detention centres around the country, at exorbitant cost to the taxpayer by dismantling the Howard Government’s strong border protection policies, Minister Bowen now wants Australians to thank him for it.

“Minister Bowen not only presides over a broken and failed border protection regime, he is now insisting that his government’s failed policies, which have seen over 16,600 people arrive on illegal boats, are good for Australia.

“Despite how Chris Bowen wants to spin this, Labor’s failed border protection policies have wasted billions of dollars, resulting in a blow out in their budget of $3.9 billion with more on the way.

“The Coalition remains committed to proven border protection policies that stop the boats, get our border protection system under control, end the billions in wasteful spending and close facilities like Inverbrackie that stand as the proof of Labor’s border failures,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Briggs said: “The government has spent $64.8 million on the facility at Inverbrackie. That’s $138,229 for each of the alleged 463 jobs created by Labor’s failed policies, and $38,006 for each of Woodside’s 1,705 residents.

“Chris Bowen says that he ‘hopes’ the Woodside community will ‘continue to reap the benefits’ of the facility. No Australian is reaping any benefit from Labor’s failed border protection policies that has cost the Australian taxpayers an extra $3.9 billion to date.

“The anger expressed by local residents over the Inverbrackie facility was never directed at asylum seekers but towards the Gillard Labor Government who announced this facility without any consultation. But to say that this is all somehow a perfect ending and a great thing for the Australian economy is fanciful,” Mr Briggs said.

Speech : Address to the Wentworth Forum - 'Building a great nation of citizens'

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Address to the Wentworth Forum - 'Building a great nation of citizens'

Thursday 19th April 2012

The United States and Australia are the two most successful immigrant nations on earth.

That success is represented in the extraordinary level of social cohesion that exists in proportion to the broad diversity of ethnic, national, religious, racial and language origins of our citizen and resident population.

This success has been hard won, and has not been without failure along the way. It is important to reflect on the reasons for our success.

For both nations, our success can be traced to some important principles. I believe they were best expressed by President Teddy Roosevelt more than 100 years ago in his first state of the union address when he said “we need every honest and efficient immigrant fitted to become an American citizen” [i].

Roosevelt understood that immigration was a nation building initiative, not a welfare programme. He believed that national greatness was dependent upon the capacity and character of the individual citizen to make a contribution. In my view, this is the most important of all Liberal Conservative values.

He saw immigration as the vehicle to recruit and build a great nation and enhance the national interest. He proposed that immigration should be selective and subject to a threefold test.

Firstly, a character test, that addressed not only issues of national security but ensured that immigrants were “not of low moral tendency or of unsavory reputation”[ii].

Secondly, a civics test, to ensure there was an “intelligent capacity to appreciate American institutions and act sanely as American citizens”[iii].

Thirdly, an economic test, requiring a “a certain standard of economic fitness”, with “proper proof of personal capacity to earn an American living and enough money to insure a decent start under American conditions”[iv].

While Roosevelt believed strongly in selection, he did not believe in discrimination.

In 1919 he said “if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American .. he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin”[v].

Roosevelt also believed that as a host nation, there was an obligation to support immigrants to become good citizens.

In 1916 he said "we must in every way possible encourage the immigrant to rise, help him up, give him a chance to help himself. If we try to carry him he may well prove not well worth carrying. We must in turn insist upon his showing the same standard of fealty to this country and to join with us in raising the level of our common American citizenship”[vi].

Ultimately Roosevelt believed that the success of an immigration programme would be measured in the calibre of the citizens it produced and that such citizenship could not be ambiguous.

In 1919 he said ‘there can be no divided allegiance here … we have room for but one flag ... but one language ... and .. but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.[vii]"

The principles of a non-discriminatory immigration policy, where selection is based on character, an appreciation of the values and institutions of the host nation and the ability to contribute have also driven Liberal immigration policy from Menzies to Abbott, and all in between.

Like Roosevelt, our aim has been to make good citizens and we have had success.

Last year the Centre for Independent Studies produced a policy monograph as part of their Population and Growth Series[viii].

The paper argues that Australia's selective migration system is the driving cause for Australia's success as one the world's most culturally diverse nations.

They observe that 'Australia predominantly received migrants who were qualified and capable of easily integrating into society' [ix] and that Australia has been 'cherry picking' the best qualified migrants, most likely to make a positive contribution[x].

They argue that Germany and the United Kingdom did not follow our planned migration path and have paid the price in social dislocation.

The paper cites an article in the American Sociological Review into the effects of policies regulating immigration in Australia and New Zealand which found that 'the relatively high educational and occupational status of immigrant’s parents .. fully explains the better educational performance of immigrant children'[xi] and that 'our analyses do not support the hypothesis that the better performance of immigrant children in traditional immigration countries can be explained by a more receptive attitude toward immigrants in these countries'.

This is supported by more recent DIAC research which shows that unemployment in 2010-11 was lower for all migrant males regardless of background (3.9% MESC, 4.9% NESC) than Australian born males (5.0%) and for migrant females from mainly English speaking countries (5.0%) than Australian born females (5.1%) and the labour force generally (5.1%)[xii].

Migrants also had higher rates of tertiary education attainment and were over represented in professional and management occupations.

The CIS authors concluded by saying 'if Australia wants to continue the process of attracting migrants into the future, it should not deviate from its policy of selecting migrants by their suitability. Migrants can only add value to recipient countries if they fit in and make an effort to integrate. Immigration nations ignore this basic insight at their peril'[xiii].

I agree, and I raise this because it is important to understand the reasons for our success. We are a successful immigration nation and I want to keep it that way.

We must not develop policy that seeks to address problems that, by comparison, we do not have.

While I empathise with Angela Merkel and David Cameron as they battle with the complex issues of social cohesion and immigration policy in a European context, their immigration practice has followed a very different path to Australia. Likewise, the response and focus of our immigration debate should be different.

So what challenges do we face today?

This evening I wish to focus on the size and composition of our migration programme.

My starting point is that population growth is good when managed well.

Australia population growth rate is currently 1.4% per annum and consistent with our long run average[xiv].

By global standards Australia does not have a slow rate of population growth. It is the same as India, is 0.3 percentage points higher than the global average of 1.1%, almost double the OECD average of 0.8%, and higher than other comparable western countries, including the UK at 0.6%, Canada at 1% and the USA at 0.9%[xv].

Immigration accounts for more than half of our annual population growth and is the most volatile component of that growth and the component over which the Federal Government has the greatest influence.

Immigration policy, therefore, must form part of any serious national population policy. The Government has steadfastly refused to acknowledge this link and has sought to quarantine immigration policy from the population debate.

This does not mean population policy, though, is all about immigration.

To the contrary, immigration is just the input. The outcome is about maintaining and improving our unique quality of life.

To achieve this we must ensure a balance between our capacity to support and absorb population growth with our capacity and necessity to generate such growth.

Professor MacDonald and Jeremy Temple’s paper “Immigration, Labour Supply and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product: Australia 2010-2050”summarises the challenges of sustainable population growth and the role of immigration well.

They observe that migration has a meaningful impact on the rate of growth per capita GDP that the impact of immigration on population ageing, and hence upon the rate of growth of per capita GDP gets smaller as the migration level increases.

There can also be no doubting the fiscal contribution of migration, in particular skilled migration.

Access Economics estimate the net fiscal impact of the 182,000 people who received permanent visas in 2010/11 in their first three year of settlement at more than $2.4 billion, with an average contribution of just over $13,400 each.

Permanent skilled migrants generate a net fiscal impact of $22,000 each over three years, while 90,120 457 visa entrants in 2010/11 will generate $2.2 billion over three years or more than $27,000 each[xvi].

By contrast, Access estimates family migrants will generate on average $5,780 each and the 13 770 refugee and humanitarian entrants will have a net fiscal cost of $380 million or $27,400 each.

However, this migration must be supported by increasing our capacity to support and absorb growth at the same time.

MacDonald and Temple also note that:

• without investment (heavily in infrastructure, new forms of energy and reversal of environmental degradation), Australia’s capacity to take full advantage of present and future opportunities is threatened[xvii], and
• if increased immigration proceeds without investment in new infrastructure, especially urban infrastructure, the result could be reductions in productivity through increased congestion and inefficiency[xviii], and therefore
• a plan relating to Australia’s future levels of immigration must be coordinated with policy for urban infrastructure especially housing, transport, water and appropriate energy supply[xix].

Those who have sought to dismiss the real concerns that exist about a ‘Big Australia’ and advocate unrestrained population growth as an economic necessity, must have a greater faith in the ability of Governments at all levels, to deliver the services, infrastructure and environmental mitigations that will be required, than I have observed, and certainly those sitting in the suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are prepared to acknowledge.

Concerns about a ‘Big Australia’ are less a function of concerns about immigration than they are an expression of lost confidence in the ability of Governments to plan and provide for the future. Without cause to increase this confidence, many Australians will not give Governments a blank cheque on population growth.

The popular fashion by some to berate and ridicule those who have concerns about a ‘Big Australia’ as economic philistines or nimbyists or, worse still, xenophobes and racists is a cop out. It is a lazy attempt by self appointed gate keepers to exclude legitimate issues being raised in the policy debate.

The roads, bridges, hospitals, water, energy and aged care infrastructure , we need are not going to turn up before the next budget, however we can seek to rebuild confidence through a more robust planning process that provide a context for immigration decisions.

From an immigration point of view it is critical to demonstrate that the migration programme is formed as part of a bigger picture population strategy that is seeking to deal with these broader issues. That is what our population policy is all about.

That is why the core proposition of our population policy is to nominate five year rolling population growth bands, to provide a population context for our migration programme.

MacDonald and Temple demonstrate that such a range can be identified when they concluded that there is a range of NOM levels, namely 160,000 to 210,000, which the modelling suggests would have the ‘best’ impact by 2050 on ageing of the population and the rate of growth of GDP per capita[xx].

This work needs to be undertaken in even far greater detail, on a more systematic and regular basis and go broader to consider issues such as infrastructure and services capacity as well as environmental impacts, to inform such a band in the future.

The band is not dissimilar to the inflation target range prescribed for the Reserve Bank to provide the context for monetary policy decisions.

Having set a robust framework to determine the size of your migration become, you must get the composition right.

Firstly, we must to come to terms with the fact that temporary migration is now the dominant component of population growth, rather than permanent migration.

In 1989-90 the share of temporary migrants in net overseas migration was around 10%[xxi]. In the year to year September 2011 it was 54%, having peaked at over two thirds in 2007/08, when NOM was more than 100,000 higher than it is today.

A breakdown of net overseas migration figures for 2007/08[xxii] show that it was not formal skilled migration that dominated our net overseas migration intake. 457s accounted for just 12%, while permanent skilled migration accounted for 17% - less than a third of our net intake was for skills.

Higher levels of net overseas migration do not necessarily equate to a higher level of skilled migration. Aggregate immigration is not the issue.

It is the composition that counts.

From a labour force perspective it is the level of skilled migration that matters.

Under the Howard Government, skilled migration was increased from less than 30%[xxiii] to almost 70% of the total permanent migration programme [xxiv] It is Coalition policy that skilled migration will be no less than two thirds of our migration programme. However, this will not be enough. We must address the need for temporary skills and labour.

We learnt many years ago that capital was mobile and adjusted our system of financial regulation and policy frameworks to accommodate and take advantage of this change, while protecting Australia's interests.

Today, people are mobile, and for employment in particular. We must come to terms with what temporary migration means for Australia, how it can serve our interests and what we must do to protect our interests.

We already know the economic benefits that have been derived from international visitors and students. We must now understand how utilizing temporary labour visas can grow our economy and create jobs for Australians, rather than myopically seeing it as a threat – currently 457 visa holders account for less than 1% of our labour force[xxv].

Temporary migration enables us to provide greater conditionality on a person's stay. Unlike permanent migrants, we can and should constrict the terms of their entry to work in particular locations, industries and occupations to address labour shortages. This can bring targeted benefits to regional areas, where such labour is needed, and protect against such labour gravitating to other areas, where it could threaten Australian jobs.

We need to revisit more liberalised access to 457s for trades and semi skilled occupations and look to reinstate the regional concessions Labor abolished. There is also a need to revisit the English language test.

English language skills are important to ensure awareness of compliance with occupational health and safety rules and to support social cohesion. Temporary migrants, whether they are students or workers, can be highly vulnerable to abuse. An understanding of English helps them access services and understand the protections available to them – from renting a flat, understanding the terms of their employment or taking out a loan.

However, our testing programme must be geared to more functional and vocational language skills rather than the one size fits all testing method currently adopted. We use the same test for those applying to undertake postgraduate study from Germany as we do for an abattoir worker from Brazil. The level of language skills required should also take into account the intended length of stay.

Our temporary migration policies must also be careful to manage the population impacts, ensuring that we apply appropriate constraints, most importantly that where appropriate such entrants return home when their purpose and stay has been completed – whether it is to work, study or visit – without onward application entitlements.

Where increases in temporary migration are balanced by departing temporary migrants, the population impact is mitigated.

Finally, given that our immigration and settlement programmes have been built for permanent settlement we must find ways to provide temporary migrants with access to settlement support.

These migrant groups are presently highly vulnerable in our community and receive little to assist them adjust to and participate in Australian life. This will undoubtedly involve direct involvement of businesses, sponsors and educational institutions in taking up greater responsibilities to support those they have brought here, to participate and integrate within the Australian community.

This is essential to ensuring greater social cohesion within our community.

The lesson of successful immigration is that you must always remember that who comes to country and the circumstances in which they come is a sovereign decision of your nation.

John Howard famously said more than ten years ago that ‘we will decide’. This approach has been the bedrock of our Liberal approach to immigration policy since we were founded. The Australian people understand and respect our consistency and strength when it comes to making these decisions in the national interest.

“We will decide” remains our policy and will be the key to a Coalition Government restoring community confidence in our immigration programme if successful at the next election.

i Roosevelt, T. 1901 First Annual Message – XXVI President of the United States – 3 December 1901 in ‘The American Presidency Project’, University of South Carolina Beaufort http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29542#axzz1sWs9QIA5

ii Roosevelt, T. 1901 First Annual Message – XXVI President of the United States in ‘The American Presidency Project’, University of South Carolina Beaufort http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29542#axzz1sWs9QIA5

iii Roosevelt, T. 1901 First Annual Message – XXVI President of the United States in ‘The American Presidency Project’, University of South Carolina Beaufort http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29542#axzz1sWs9QIA5

iv Roosevelt, T. 1901 First Annual Message – XXVI President of the United States in ‘The American Presidency Project’, University of South Carolina Beaufort http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29542#axzz1sWs9QIA5

v Letter by Theodore Roosevelt 1919, The Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Washington DC http://msgboard.snopes.com/politics/graphics/troosevelt.pdf

vi The New York Times. "A Roosevelt Idea Made in Germany." 2 February 1916 (p. 5).

vii Roosevelt, T. 1919 Letter To President of the American Defense Society,

January 3, 1919; last message, read at meeting in New York, January 5, 1919 http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/tr%20web%20book/tr_cd_to_html280.html

viii Hartwich, O.M. 2011 Policy Monographs Population and Growth Series 4: Selection, Migration and Integration: Why Multiculturalism Works in Australia (and fails in Europe), The Centre for Independent Studies [page vi] last accessed on 16 November 2011 http://www.politiquessociales.net/IMG/pdf/pm-121.pdf

ix Hartwich, O.M. 2011 Policy Monographs Population and Growth Series 4: Selection, Migration and Integration: Why Multiculturalism Works in Australia (and fails in Europe), The Centre for Independent Studies [page vi] last accessed on 16 November 2011 http://www.politiquessociales.net/IMG/pdf/pm-121.pdf

x Hartwich, O.M. 2011 Policy Monographs Population and Growth Series 4: Selection, Migration and Integration: Why Multiculturalism Works in Australia (and fails in Europe), The Centre for Independent Studies [page 3] last accessed on 18 April 2012

xi Levels, M. & Dronkers, J. & Kraaykamp, G. 2008 ‘Immigrant Children’s Educational Achievement in Western Countries: Origin, Destination, and Community Effects on Mathematical Performance,’ American Sociological Review 73 (October 2008), pages 835–853

xii ‘Table 10.1 Employment status of civilian population aged 15 years or more, by birthplace, 2010-11’ – [Source: Labour Force, Australia (6291.0) Australian Bureau of Statistics] in DIAC 2012 Trends in Migration: Australia 2010-11, Annual submission to the OECD’s Continuous Reporting System on Migration (SOPEM) pg 95 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/trends-in-migration/trends-in-migration-2010-11.pdf

xiii Hartwich, O.M. 2011 Policy Monographs Population and Growth Series 4: Selection, Migration and Integration: Why Multiculturalism Works in Australia (and fails in Europe), The Centre for Independent Studies [page 6] last accessed on 16 November 2011 http://www.politiquessociales.net/IMG/pdf/pm-121.pdf

xiv Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012 Australian Demographic Statistics – September Quarter 2011, published 29 March 2012, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0

xv Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 ‘Population, Growth Rate and Rank of Selected Countries (a)’ in Australian Demographic Statistics – June Quarter 2011, 19 December 2011 pg 10 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/3101.0Main%20Features3Jun%202011?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3101.0&issue=Jun%202011&num=&view

xvi DIAC 2012 ‘Table 11.1 Migrants’ net impact on the Australian Government Budget by visa category 2010-11’ [Source: Access Economics and DIAC Migrants’ Fiscal Impact Model] in Trends in Migration: Australia 2010-11 Annual submission to the OECD’s Continuous Reporting System on Migration, pg 110 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/trends-in-migration/trends-in-migration-2010-11.pdf

xvii McDonald, P. & Temple, J. 2010 Immigration, Labour Supply and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product; Australia 2010-2050, Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute ANU, page 43 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/labour-supply-gdp-2010-2050.pdf

xviii McDonald, P. & Temple, J. 2010 Immigration, Labour Supply and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product; Australia 2010-2050, Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute ANU, page 45 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/labour-supply-gdp-2010-2050.pdf

xix McDonald, P. & Temple, J. 2010 Immigration, Labour Supply and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product; Australia 2010-2050, Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute ANU, page 45 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/labour-supply-gdp-2010-2050.pdf

xx McDonald, P. & Temple, J. 2010 Immigration, Labour Supply and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product; Australia 2010-2050, Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute ANU, page 39

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/labour-supply-gdp-2010-2050.pdf

xxi Productivity Commission, Population and Migration: Understanding the Numbers. Productivity Commission

research paper, December 2010

xxii ABS Cat no. 3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 2008-09

xxiii Australian Bureau of Statistics 2007 ‘Migration: Permanent Additions to Australia’s Population’ in Australian Social Trends 2007, published 7 August 2007, last accessed 17 November 2011 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/928AF7A0CB6F969FCA25732C00207852?opendocument

xxiv Department of Immigration and Citizenship 2011Migration Program Statistics, last viewed 16 November 2011, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/statistical-info/visa-grants/migrant.htm

xxv Connolly, E. & Davis, K. & Spence, G. 2011 ‘Trends in Labour Supply’, The Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin June Quarter 2011, last accessed 17 November 2011 http://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2011/jun/1.html

Department of Immigration and Citizenship 2011 Subclass 457 State/Territory Summary Report 2010-11 to 30 June 2011, last accessed 17 November 2011 http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/pdf/457-stats-state-territory-jun11.pdf

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Speech : Transcript - Doorstop interview

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Doorstop interview

Thursday 19th April 2012

SUBJECTS: Coalition’s renewed calls for an independent inquiry into Labor’s border protection failure on guns, latest illegal boat arrival

EandOE

MORRISON:
It is absolutely clear that the biggest policy betrayal of the Gillard Government is the carbon tax but without doubt their biggest policy failure is on our borders. I want to address two issues today that go to those border failures. Firstly on the issue of gun smuggling to Australia and secondly on the arrival of yet another illegal boat to Australia. These guns, 220 of these Glock pistols, came through the Sylvania Waters Post Office in the last few months. Following that we also had NSW Police finding parts that went to more than 20 of these AR-15 assault rifles near Port Macquarie and in Kingsgrove. We have also seen in reports today in QLD of reports of mail order guns coming into that state. Around ten years ago when he was Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, now Minister in the Gillard Government, said that the guns being traded, the guns on our streets have come through porous borders. Now that statement is more true today than it ever has been under the Gillard Government’s soft approach when it comes to border protection.
The Gillard Government has gutted Customs in terms of its funding. It has reduced Customs and have refused to restore the funding despite the Coalition’s calls but what I want to announce today is the Coalition once again says Customs must be investigated with an independent inquiry as well as Australia Post, into the smuggling of guns into Australia that went undetected. The smuggling of guns into Australia has been revealed by our state police forces, not by our Customs agents. This government has tried to spin itself into a lather in recent weeks trying to explain away their own failings but the one question they won’t ask is how did these guns, whether it is the Glock pistol of the AR-15s, how they actually got into Australia on their watch. These are the questions that need to be answered by the Gillard Government and these are the questions they refuse to have asked through an independent inquiry.
We have also had the revelations of Customs officers themselves being investigated for corruption as well as Customs officers who have been dismissed for such behavior since 2010. So whatever the government might try to spin out there or however many photo opportunities they may want to have in mail centres or weapon seizures, what they are not doing is actually asking the hard questions of themselves and their own agencies and that is why the Coalition insists on an independent inquiry into just how these guns got into Australia, how they got past Customs, how they got into suburban post offices as mail order guns that end up on our streets and end up having the sort of impact that we are seeing not just in Sydney but around the country.
The other point I want to make today is the arrival of yet another illegal boat to Australia. Almost 300 boats have now arrived since the Labor Government abolished the proven measures of the Howard Government. 5,000 of those arrivals have occurred in just this financial year alone which is well up on last year and the year has yet to be completed. So it just goes further to the evidence of how the Gillard Government’s record on border protection is one of complete policy failure from the ridiculous East Timor proposal, the failure of the Malaysian people swap and the complete capitulation to the Greens last November when they embarked on their let them in, let them out policy which has seen over 3,000 people turn up since late November.
So they are the matters before the Gillard Government today. They should immediately instate this independent inquiry into Customs and Australia Post on their guns failures and restore the proven policies of the Coalition on our borders to stop the boats.

QUESTION:
Are you talking about a Parliamentary inquiry into the gun issue?

MORRISON:
We called for an independent inquiry to be undertaken by someone of the stature of Mick Keelty who understands the workings of Australian Customs and the Federal agencies. It is incumbent we have someone who can go in, get behind the curtain and see exactly what is going wrong. There is no doubt we need more intelligence when it comes to gun smuggling operations but the intelligence this Minister needs is the intelligence about what is going wrong in his own Customs agency and that is the question he refuses to ask because he does not want to hear the answer.

QUESTION:
There has been a bit of a spree in Sydney of tit for tat shootings, do you think it doesn’t help that some many guns are coming through our borders?

MORRISON:
Well criminals want new guns and the only new guns and clean guns they can get access to are the ones that come across our borders. So whether it is in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide of Perth or wherever these crimes are occurring with guns, the weapon of choice of criminal gangs are clean guns and new guns and they only come across our borders and whether it is what we saw at Sylvania Waters or up near Port Macquarie or Kingsgrove or what is being reported in South East QLD, these guns are coming across our borders and it is up to the Gillard Government to undertake a full independent inquiry into just how that is happening through Customs and Border Protection and Australia Post.

QUESTION:
Inaudible

MORRISON:
We want to know how the guns got across the border. It is a simple and straight forward question. Of all the measures that have gone out there with the government’s flurry of announcements and photo opportunities, not once have they said they will review just how these 220 Glock pistols, how the parts for the more than 20 AR-15 assault rifles actually got over under their radar, got across on their watch and got onto our streets. So it is imperative for this Minister to understand how that actually happened. Until he actually can get that intelligence then he frankly doesn’t know what he is dealing with.

QUESTION:
Police have made these busts and stopped a few hundred guns, is that it?

MORRISON:
Well the NSW Police, the Queensland, Victorian and Western Australian Police are doing an outstanding job in exposing what is a gaping hole on our borders for guns to come into this country. The guns can’t get on our streets if they don’t come across our borders. The State Police are doing their bit, they are the ones investigating these crimes and are finding the holes. But only the Federal Government can plug those holes on our borders and they can’t do that if they are unwilling to ask the basic questions about how did those guns, those Glock pistols ended up in the Sylvania Waters Post Office and onto our streets? It is a question they refuse to ask and they remain with their head buried in the sand.

QUESTION:
It has been reported that at least one gun has been involved in quite a few of the shootings recently. Is there any suggestion that has come from overseas or is this just a gun that has been in circulation for years and years?

MORRISON:
Well in the months ahead I am sure the source of these guns being used in these crimes will be revealed. It is clear also that the guns that gangs want to use are guns that are clean, guns that don’t have a history, guns that are new and the only place those guns come from is overseas and across our borders. These guns coming across our borders present a very real threat to communities all around Australia, not just here in NSW and that is why it is imperative that we get to the bottom of what the failings were, who was responsible for those failings and how those failings are going to be addressed. All we are getting at the moment from the government is press and photo opportunities rather than actually hard measures to find out what went wrong. Even the most recent announcement of the new intelligence unit in Customs, no announcement of the funding, no announcement of the strength of that force, no announcement on what it will detract from other aspects and activities of Customs. This is an agency that has had its funding cut by $58.1 million, 340 staff have been cut from border protection under this government and we have seen the number of air cargo screenings drop by 75%. That is a record of this government and we need to understand how that has contributed to the failings we are also seeing on our borders with these guns.

Media Release : More boat arrivals highlight Julia Gillard's biggest policy failure

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 57 people on board, highlights that just as the carbon tax is Julia Gillard’s biggest policy betrayal, border protection is Julia Gillard’s biggest policy failure, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Julia Gillard’s list of failures include her East Timor farce, failed five for one Malaysia people swap and her capitulation to the Greens last year with her ‘let them in, let them out’ policy of community release and bridging visas for boat arrivals, after which more than 3,000 people have so far arrived,” Mr Morrison said.

“Labor’s border protection failures have resulted in over 5,000 people arriving on illegal boats this financial year alone, more arrivals than last year and with ten weeks still left to go.

“Labor’s only response to their failure is to blame the Opposition, rather than be accountable for their own decisions. Blaming the Opposition is not a policy, just another lame excuse from a government that has given up.

“With over 16,600 people arriving on 298 illegal boats on Labor’s watch, these excuses are an admission of failure.

“The Labor Government has offered people smugglers a more attractive business model at every opportunity with more boats and more people the result.

“This is why only the Coalition can be trusted to implement proven border protection policies to stop illegal boat arrivals and get our border protection and immigration regimes back under control,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Coalition renews call for independent inquiry into border failures as gun crime escalates

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Coalition has renewed calls for an independent inquiry to be established into the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and Australia Post over the Government’s border failures that continue to result in guns finding their way across our border and onto our streets, Acting Shadow Minister for Customs and Border Protection, Scott Morrison said today.

“The problem of guns on our streets and guns crimes that follow are national issues for one simple reason – the guns are coming across our borders,” Mr Morrison said.

“Ten years ago now Senator Carr agreed when he said as NSW Premier ‘the guns on our streets, the guns being traded, the guns that form this black market have got into Australia through pretty porous borders’.

“These events demand an independent inquiry to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong at Customs and Australia Post to allow these guns across our borders. The Government’s refusal to establish such an inquiry is indicative of a Government who, just like on illegal boat arrivals, does not want to confront the failings occurring on their watch.

“In response to the increase in gun violence, Labor have been spinning themselves into a lather of tough talk and photo opportunities, rather than asking the hard questions of themselves and the agencies they are responsible for about how these guns have found their way across our borders.

“At the same time they seek to shield themselves behind the hard of work of state police forces who are the ones who have exposed the gaping holes in our borders that Labor refuses to acknowledge.

“In recent months NSW Police have revealed the importation of up to 220 Glock pistols into Australia through a suburban post office in Sylvania Waters, with Customs completely oblivious to their arrival.
“This was followed by NSW Police locating and seizing parts for more than 20 AR-15 assault rifles and approximately 20,000 bullets and casings, at South Arm near Port Macquarie and in suburban Kingsgrove.

“Meanwhile more than 24 Customs officers are being investigated for corruption or misconduct while 15 officers have been dismissed for such conduct since 2010, including one official with close ties to a Sydney based Middle Eastern crime family.

“The guns are also making their way into Queensland, where there are reports of criminals using mail order guns from South East Asia.

“Labor wants to investigate everybody and anything other than their own agencies. None of the measures announced by the Government so far are designed to find out what went wrong and who was responsible.

“After Labor initially rejected our call for an Inquiry into Customs and Australia Post, the Coalition has sought answers on over 200 matters in questions on notice in the Parliament in an attempt to get answers on how Customs and Australia Post are failing to stop illegal gun smuggling. Almost four weeks since they were asked, not one question has so far been answered by the Government.

“The Government’s establishment of a Customs Firearms Intelligence and Targeting Team, comes without any details of funding, the number of officers involved or the impact on other areas of Customs’ operations.

“The Public has every right to be concerned and cynical about these announcements; given Customs have already been the subject of budget cuts by Labor.

“Labor has cut 340 staff from Customs and more than $58 million from their budget, resulting in a decrease in air cargo screening from more than 60% under the Coalition to less than 10%. More importantly, Labor is not doing anything to reverse these cuts, as the Coalition has pledged to do and give Customs back the resources they need to do their job.

“We do need greater intelligence into smuggling operations, whether it is guns, drugs or people. However, the key intelligence that Ministers need to know is what is going on at Customs and Australia Post that has allowed these mail order guns to find their way to Australian post offices, without detection, and onto our streets.

“While Labor continues to leave their head in the sand about potentially serious problems inside Customs itself, our borders remain exposed.

“Our border protection agencies need our support to do their job. This means giving them the resources they need and facing up to any corruption that may be occurring that compromises their efforts and the integrity of the good name of their agency,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Ray Hadley Show

Monday 16th April 2012

SUBJECT: The risks and flaws of Labor’s Complementary Protection legislation

E and OE

HADLEY:
Now before I spoke to Scott Morrison, the Shadow Immigration Minister, I had a conversation with a gentleman calling himself Robert. Robert works within the system and he sent me another letter today – Ray, I refer to the conversation I had with you on Friday the 13th. These new laws need a bit of explaining- perhaps you can run this document past Scott Morrison. This is how the new nutty scheme works – The Migration Act contains the necessary information. Firstly look up Section 501. The current law known as the Character Test subsection 501-7 defines what is termed a substantial criminal record, which may lead to the cancellation or refusal of a visa. This provision applies to persons sentenced to imprisonment of 12 months or more, persons sentenced to 2 years or more with a total term of 2 years or more. However since the 23 March this year, the new weaker character test applies for the purpose of processing the protection harm applicants as to the date of the visa application and the date of the visa decision. So instead of applying the substantial criminal record test, the new terms are limited to offences involving violence, drug offences, serious damage to property and for Australian offences whilst in detention, offences relating to escape or the manufacture and distribution of weapons however the crimes will also be considered serious if the crime is punishable by a life sentence or a mandatory or fixed sentence of not less than three years or imprisonment for a maximum term of not less than three years. He goes on to raise a whole range of issues but says this; the current procedures created a possibility Ray of introducing serious and established criminals into our country, either after being granted bridging visas whilst applications are being processed or as residents. I’ve not examined even more profoundly serious issues, namely how it is conceivable for the government to undertake credible criminal checks when the applicant destroys all evidence as to their identity as they do when they arrive here by boats. We had another 19 people on a boat over the weekend. Scott Morrison, good morning.

MORRISON:
G’day Ray.

HADLEY:
I know you’ve done a little bit of work on this over the course of the weekend so tell me – Robert as he calls himself, is he up the right path here?

MORRISON:
Well there are two things operating – he sort of is and sort of isn’t. Section 501 deals with the Character Test and that means the Minister can cancel or refuse to issue any visa to any one who has a criminal conviction carrying a 12 month sentence or more or he can still apply the general character test which doesn’t require a criminal conviction at all.

HADLEY:
So are you saying it’s a combination of the old law and the new law?

MORRISON:
It is. What the Minister has done is lowered the bar for the officials to go and grant these complementary protection visas.

HADLEY:
Oh I see but he reserves the right to bring the bar back up for his purposes?

MORRISON:
Yes and the problem with this minister is he never applies that and his predecessor was even worse. I mean, you remember the Taufahema case with Senator Evans, and this Minister’s not much better.

HADLEY:
As weak as water. That’s in the High Court – one of those matters at the moment.

MORRISON:
They delegate all these things out to the Department and like Robert in this situation is dealing with the laws in front of him and those laws are applying a lower bar –

HADLEY:
So in other words, it’ll be difficult for officers inside Immigration to refuse it and they’ll have to rely upon intervention by the Minister if it is refused and they go to admin appeals, they’ll rely upon him at the last hurdle to say no, you can’t stay here.

MORRISON:
That’s right or they would rely on him in the first instance to just rule it out on character grounds before and not even delegate it to them but that doesn’t happen under this government; this Minister and his predecessor never take those decisions. He threatened to use the general character test on everyone who rioted and burned the place down at Villawood and Christmas Island and not one person, not one, has had their visa cancelled under the character test.

HADLEY
Ok go back to this other one – complementary protection. Now what does that mean? It’s pages and pages of it here in the media sheet but in general terms, what does it mean? This change to complementary protection?

MORRISON:
Well it means if you’re not a refugee, you can claim for a visa on other grounds, on the grounds that you might be tortured or under the Convention of the rights of the child or other civil liberties issues so it provides a broader pathway for you to claim a place here in Australia. Now there were only six people in the previous year who’d actually qualified and under the way the system used to work – and the way it used to work was this. Where someone was identified through all those who are coming through, who may have had a fair dinkum claim under these various other conventions, they were brought to the attention of the Minister and the Minister would grant a visa. Now to give you an idea of the scale of this, there was over about 430 odd cases that were brought to the attention and only six were found to be fair dinkum. Now that’s – so there was no one who was missing out under our genuine obligations previously under the old system. What this government has done is they’ve created a whole new pathway for people to make claims, then take them into the courts and this was where Robert is spot on. That means the courts then start deciding what is harm, what is a serious offence and all of these issues and there could well be a conflict between the power of the Minister under section 501 and the powers under Section 36 as well so it creates another legal quagmire and just another example of how this government just doesn’t get it.

HADLEY:
So you can drive a Kenworth through the middle of it.

MORRISON:
Well it’s great news for David Manne. He’ll be able to get a lot more taxpayer funding to take cases to court, including to the High Court I suspect, as a result of this. It’s great news for lawyers, it’s great news for those who want to sort of rort our system and it’s bad news for Australian taxpayers and people who are fair dinkum about our genuine obligations under the Conventions which are provided to help genuine people not those who are trying to dodge the system.

HADLEY:
So people understand it – complementary protection is the term used to describe a category of protection for people who are not refugees.

MORRISON:
That’s right and there are a small number of cases where we actually do owe an obligation but not by what is determined here.

HADLEY:
So that means everyone who arrives on a boat now will claim complementary protection –

MORRISON:
Yes.

HADLEY:
Because – I mean, the test has always been that they get from where they were on a plane from Afghanistan to Indonesia and well they have escaped from that regime so to speak so they’re not refugees because then they – it’s their first port of call being Indonesia, not Australia, nor New Zealand in some cases but it’s Indonesia – that’s where they’re no longer in danger. They can stay there if they want, if they get on a leaky boat, they throw the passport out the window, out the porthole and then arrive here with no papers and then we get to the next problem; we don’t know who they are so we can’t do the character test in any case because they tell us who they think they want to be and we’re in strife.

MORRISON:
That’s a very good summary of it, Ray. That’s how it’ll work and this is why we opposed the Bill last year.

HADLEY:
OK.

MORRISON:
There are a whole range of things in this bill – interestingly, the minister made not one mention of this change to the three years in his speech to the House when he introduced the bill but regardless, the bill was a bill that wasn’t being supported by us, it was supported not surprisingly by the Greens and the crossbenchers so -

HADLEY:
Oakeshott and Windsor have done it to us again.

MORRISON:
And the Greens, they’re all there. All part of one big bunch.

HADLEY:
Ok thanks Scott. Shadow Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - Bolt Report

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Bolt Report

Sunday 15th April 2012

SUBJECTS: Labor’s failed border protection policies, illegal boat arrivals, Craig Thomson’s failure to co-operate with NSW Police, Bob Brown

EandOE

BOLT:
Ok let’s add up the cost of Labor weakening our border laws. First, more than 16,000 more boat people. Second, at least $1 billion a year in extra costs. Third, 600 boat people who have drowned at sea. When about 50 died off Christmas Island I warned that Labor’s soft policies were luring people to their deaths but guess who called on me to resign for being so rude? Rude to worry about the dead, the people who paid most the price of Labor’s compassion?

Joining me now is the Opposition’s immigration spokesman Scott Morrison. Scott thanks for joining me. I want to talk to you about three of the boats this week before we move onto Bob Brown. First, the Chinese boat. Doesn’t this show that when we talk about asylum seekers the truth is that more often than not we are actually talking about illegal immigrants shopping around?

MORRISON:
Well 90% of those who make onshore applications for asylum who come from China are rejected in the first instance and what I highlighted this week about this vessel – and sure we are all concerned about them making another dangerous voyage – but what we have is asylum seekers effectively shipping around for the jurisdiction, country shopping if you like, for where they think their claim is best going to be advanced and under this government’s policies certainly what is an exception for someone seeking to go to New Zealand in Australia’s case it is the rule. I mean there are over 16,500 people who have turned up under this government’s failed policies that prove that.

BOLT:
But it is interesting too isn’t it that the Chinese on board this boat were quite aware of our and New Zealand’s asylum systems and chose between them. This shows us very clearly I think that what we do sends a signal that is then factored into decisions made by people smugglers and the people who use them?

MORRISON:
There is no doubt about that. Asylum seekers are very aware of what the various regimes are and they do have a good look around at what they think is going to be their best chance. There was the situation of the 120 that were taken ashore in Indonesia recently where one of them made it very clear they were aware of the government’s new community release and bridging visa policy. This was a policy announced by the government late last year, basically ‘let them in, let them out’ at the behest of the Greens and more than 3,000 people have turned up since then as a result.

BOLT:
Well that second boat that we are talking about, the 120 that had to turn back and are back in Indonesia. That was largely Iranian and Afghan refugees, all single men, 120 of them. Why from Iran? Is that something to do with the fact that they know, they come here, claim asylum, if we say no Iran won’t take them back if they don’t want to go?

MORRISON:
Well I think that is an element of it but Iranian asylum seekers have been a bigger part of the traffic over the last 18 months or so and in the inquiry into detention network and the riots in particular that group were particularly identified by the Department themselves as being a much more problematic group within the detention network. These are people who are particularly coming from middle class professional backgrounds in many cases and they have got the cash to get on a boat and they are paying that and the Department officials themselves have actually raised concerns about a sense of entitlement.

BOLT:
Well it seems again to be exploiting a loophole. Third boat, the one we think may have included people who had died, 60 people has now since been found again in Indonesia…

MORRISON:
Thankfully.

BOLT:
I was struck by the fact the alarm was first raised by Australia’s United Hazara Association, people from the same region, they had been in phone contact with the boat right up to when they suddenly broke contact and also the Refugee Action Coalition also in phone contact. It seems to me very odd we have these groups in Australia managing or liaising or somehow knowing, up to the point of almost arrival, what is happening.

MORRISON:
Well I think that is right and the fact they can get in contact with Ian Rintoul, I mean I don’t have his mobile number but apparently a lot of people getting on boats do. I think this raises a real issue. Before the tragic incidents of SIEV 221 we know that family members were in contact with those who were getting on those boats and my plea to anyone in Australia who knows about a vessel leaving Indonesian or knowing about people getting on a vessel in Indonesia is to contact the Australian Federal Police. That is what we should be doing to stop this trade. Yes we need to change the dreadful policies that have been so unsuccessful under this government but increasingly we need to do what we need to do in the region in seeking to interrupt and intercept. That is an important part of the policy as well but it needs the cooperation from people in Australia who know what’s gong on.

BOLT:
I would have thought so.

MORRISON:
Not facilitating it, stopping it.

BOLT:
Look I am running out of time. Two quick things before you go. Craig Thomson is refusing to talk to NSW Police investigating his alleged use of a credit card when he was National Secretary of the Health Services Union. Isn’t it strange that a man who says he is innocent and we must presume it, won’t co-operate?

MORRISON:
Well this is a disgrace. Julia Gillard must insist that Craig Thomson co-operates with the NSW Police. He is a Member of Parliament, there should be no lesser standard applied to him just simply because Julia Gillard is relying on his tainted vote for a tainted government. Julia Gillard must demand today that he co-operate with the NSW Police immediately.

BOLT:
And Bob Brown retiring, have you got a fond farewell for him?

MORRISON:
Well I mean Bob Brown has been running the asylum policy for Labor for the last four years. Bob Brown will go down in history as the man who was the other Prime Minister of Australia under the Gillard Government and despite his clear political abilities whoever is running the Greens they will always be running Labor and I think that will remain into the future whether it is Christine Milne or whoever else. It is the Greens who are running Labor, not just on asylum policy but on carbon tax and goodness knows what else and the Australian people know it and are sick of it.

BOLT:
Scott Morrison thank you so much for joining me.

MORRISON:
Thank you Andrew.

END

Media Release : 10,000 people arrive on illegal boats under PM Gillard

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 19 people on board, is the fourth boat to arrive this week and means more than 10,000 people have arrived since Julia Gillard was first appointed Prime Minister, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

"When Julia Gillard was first appointed as Prime Minister she promised to smash the people smugglers business model. Instead, the Gillard Government has become the people smugglers business model, with a record of failure on our borders even greater than her predecessor Kevin Rudd,” Mr Morrison said.

“More than 10,000 people arriving on 156 boats is proof that Julia Gillard has taken things from bad to worse on our borders,” he said.

“Just like her betrayal over the carbon tax Julia Gillard deceived Australians on border protection at the last election and our borders are open to smugglers like never before.

“Meanwhile Minister Bowen continues in denial about the success of John Howard's proven border measures that stopped the boats, preferring the policies of the Greens.

“These latest arrivals also follow revelations yesterday of another shipment of illegal guns coming across our borders and hitting Sydney streets.

“Whether it's on boats or guns Labor continues to fail and all we hear is excuse after excuse.

“Excuses are not policies, they're an admission of failure and a clear sign that Labor has simply given up on our borders," Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Over 3,000 arrivals since Labor embraced Greens solution

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 77 people on board, means more than 3,000 people have now arrived since Labor embraced the Greens solution of community release and bridging visas last November, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“We have had more than 3,000 arrivals since Labor embraced the Greens solution last November of community release and bridging visas, and the message has gotten out,” Mr Morrison said.

“No wonder Mr Brown is retiring, he has got everything he’s ever wanted out of Labor,” he said.

“Asylum policy has been a one way street between the Greens and Labor, with Labor completely capitulating to all of Bob Brown’s demands.

“We have had more people turn up in the last week than in last six years of the Howard Government, yet Labor continues to opt for the Greens policies on asylum seekers rather than the proven polices of John Howard that they abolished.

“This is a problem of the Government’s own making. It’s clear Labor are not prepared to stand up to the Greens and have adopted the political tactic of trying to blame the Opposition for their failures, as a way to cover over their weakness.

“Labor’s embrace of the Greens policies on asylum seekers has supercharged the people smugglers’ business model, increasing people smugglers profits, increasing the risk to people making the dangerous boat journey to Australia and further undermining the integrity of our humanitarian program.

“Meanwhile reports on the ongoing search for a suspected asylum seeker vessel reportedly missing off Indonesia are of great concern and a terrible reminder about the risks associated with these terrible boat journeys and why we need to return to policies that work.

“Our thoughts today are with everyone involved in the rescue. As this occurred in Indonesian waters, we are supportive of any assistance provided by the Australian Government to assist the Indonesian Government,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Boat arrivals double in 2012 as 255 more people arrive

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of 255 people overnight on two illegal boats means boat arrivals are up more than 100% so far in 2012, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Labor have removed every brick in the wall of border protection they inherited from the Howard Government,” Mr Morrison said.

“Since Labor capitulated to the Greens in late November last year, and introduced their ‘let them in, let them out policy’ of mainstream community release, with bridging visas and work rights for single males, the number of boat arrivals to Australia has surged,” he said.

“So far this year, 1,818 people have arrived on 23 boats, compared to 857 people on 14 boats over the same period in 2011. This is an average of more than 550 people per month.

“At this rate, we can expect this year’s illegal boat arrivals to return to the record levels experienced in 2010.

“Asylum seekers are well aware of the latest softening in border policy by Labor, as was confirmed in media reports of comments by asylum seekers in Indonesia rescued from a vessel on their way to Australia this week.

“Labor refuses to accept responsibility for their border protection failures and remains in denial about the need to restore the proven measures of the Coalition.

“Instead they continue to soften border policy and attempt to cover their tracks by blaming the Opposition.

“Blaming the Opposition for the Government’s own border failures is not a policy, it is just another lame excuse from a Government that has given up on border protection,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “People smugglers would have made $2.5 million over the past 24 hours on the back of Labor's failed border protection policies.

“With such large amounts of money at stake they will not quit until they understand that Australia has an administration that will do what it takes to close them down.

“They have tested Labor and prevailed on every single occasion.

“They continue to be emboldened by Labor's continued failure as evidenced by the latest two illegal arrivals carrying more than 250 people.

“As the boats continue to stream through our borders at such a rapid rate, the hard working men and women of the Border Protection Command will receive no break as they continue to face increased strain and lack of resources to deal with Labor’s border protection crisis.

“When you strip resources from the vital frontline agencies, like Labor has, then you open our borders up to penetration from the people smuggling syndicates.

“Sadly excuse after excuse is all Labor has to offer the Australian people as they refuse to reinstate the Coalition’s proven policies of offshore processing on Nauru, Temporary Protection Visas and turning the boats around when it is safe to do so,” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Afternoons Warren Moore

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Afternoons Warren Moore

Wednesday 11th April 2012

SUBJECTS: the highest number of illegal arrivals in a single day under Labor

E and OE

MOORE:
Here we go again. Overnight 255 people on two illegal boats arrived in Australian waters. It means boat arrivals are up more than one hundred percent so far in 2012. The situation’s spiralling out of control. 1,818 people arrived on 23 boats compared to 857 on 14 boats over the same period in 2011 as if that wasn’t bad enough, that’s around 550 people per month. I don’t really know where to begin with this. Opposition spokesperson for Immigration Scott Morrison joins us on the program. Thanks for your time, Mr Morrison.

MORRISON:
Thanks Warren, good to be with you.

MOORE:
I tell you it’s the same lingo, isn’t it? A different day, same lingo that’s been going on it seems now for years and particularly for the last year or so with the Opposition being blamed for not supporting the Malaysian solution.

MORRISON:
Well this Government refuses to take responsibility for any of their failures. They are reaping what they’ve sown here. They’ve literally removed every brick in the wall that John Howard built on border protection that was inherited by this government and now almost 16,500 people have turned up on 295 boats and 255 of those people turned up last night in the single biggest day of arrivals under this Government and blaming the Opposition for its own failures isn’t a policy, it’s just another lame excuse from a Government that’s just given up.

MOORE:
Well there’s no doubt – they are the government, aren’t they? They are the ones who have to come up with a policy that works, you can’t blame it on anyone else.

MORRISON:
Well and particularly given they abolished the policies that did work – that’s why this whole thing has happened and they just stubbornly refuse to restore those policies and they throw this Malaysian thing up as an option that’s a failure, it’s bad policy, it’s not supported by the Parliament and they should adopt policies that are supported and that would see the Coalition’s policies restored. We could have it up and running this afternoon.

MOORE:
Having talked so much about this and heard so much about this last year because it was such a major issue and justifiably so, with that in mind, the figure that is so alarming is that boat arrivals are as I said in the introduction, are up 100% so far in 2012. How is the immigration system ever going to cope with this sort of influx?

MORRISON:
Well what the Government has decided to do is just let everybody out. They’ve just given up. Since they announced their ‘let them in, let them out’ policy at the end of November last year, which was basically fully and wholly adopting the policies of the Greens, we had the biggest Summer of boats on record and we’ve had a more than 100% increase so far this year as a result. Now that’s putting people on bridging visas into the community, giving them work rights, community detention, housing start-up packages, all of this and we saw yesterday up in Indonesia one of those who was on the vessel that was rescued by the Singaporean boat and taken to Indonesia said in a report that he was aware of the Government’s new policies, their softer policies. Now this Government just doesn’t seem to get it. If they keep softening the policies, the boats will keep coming and –

MOORE:
Well that whole Indonesian situation yesterday was quite remarkable from a media perspective. If you went to the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, he refused to comment, didn’t see it as his issue so you go to the Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare – he didn’t want to say anything either and neither did the Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr so it seems like with that sort of sensitive issue, as in Indonesia, they just duck for cover.

MORRISON:
Well Indonesia has an Australia problem when it comes to boat arrivals. The reason people are coming through Indonesia is because they want to come to Australia and when this government came to power in 2007, they had a system that was working and Indonesia didn’t have a problem. Now they do have a problem and it’s named Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

MOORE:
Well I think the ironic part and most important part, and you did say something on this yesterday about that, is that Julia Gillard has, ever since she tried to tackle this issue, came up with this idea it’s a regional problem. Well I think what happened in Indonesia yesterday or this week proves it’s not a regional problem, is it? It’s an Australian problem?

MORRISON:
It is absolutely an Australia problem and we can’t expect I think the level of cooperation we would hope for out of regional neighbours when we’re not prepared to do what we need to do on our side of the fence. And that’s one of the things we’ll fix up if we’re elected and hopefully that is sometime soon so we can get this issue under control because it continues to spiral with continued failed policies. The other point I’d make is this, Warren, I mean often the comparison is made to what happened after the Vietnam War and the Indochinese refugee crisis. There is no comparison. These people in Indochina were directly fleeing their country where they were under direct persecution and they were literally going to the first country they could go to. Those refugees were being driven out of our own region. The people smuggling business was not the thing that was in operation there, people got on whatever boat they could and fled for their lives. Now to compare that with people getting on planes, paying people smugglers in one country, being met on arrival in another, being taken off to hotels, ferried on buses to boats in Indonesia and then on to Australia, I think is quite insulting to those who were in that very desperate situation back in the 1980s, late 70s.

MOORE:
Well you don’t have to be a geography expert to work that out, do you? Apart from the political situation and the different comparisons there, it’s just the fact of how many countries do you have to go past to get from Afghanistan as one example to Australia? Quite a few.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right. These asylum seekers are not being generated from within our region, they’re coming from a long way away and that’s the problem that we face. Now back in 1999-2001, the Howard Government was faced with a surge of arrivals and we did something about it. And over the last six years of our government, there was an average of just 50 people a year and three boats a year. I mean, that happens on any given day under this government.

MOORE:
We’re about half way through the Parliamentary term and we had talk before Christmas where things intensified the week up to Christmas, unfortunately in the face of tragedy. So is there any hope for talks again between the Government and the Opposition? Would there be any point, is there any hope that some of those stumbling blocks could be overcome?

MORRISON:
Well the Government isn’t prepared to just get on with the job of acting on their responsibilities and restoring the policies that worked. It’s their job to implement policies that work. The Coalition is under no obligation to support a failed government with failed policies. We’ll support good policies. The policies we know that worked and we’ll support them to do that today, you don’t need a conference to sort that out, they can have that support immediately. What they don’t want to do is admit that that was the reason they got themselves into this mess in the first place and they want to insist on this mad idea of the Malaysian people swap of five for one which completely abolishes all human rights protections for offshore processing in the Migration Act so I mean –

MOORE:
As much as that’s not an ideal policy, would in any way it be better than putting peoples’ lives at risk?

MORRISON:
We think it’s bad policy, Warren, and we won’t support it. The Government has our support to restore policies that worked. I mean, all Australians know that when the Government got rid of the policies that worked, that’s what’s created the crisis we’re in.

MOORE:
Well the figures speak for themselves, don’t they?

MORRISON;
Well they do speak for themselves and the Government’s in complete denial about it and a serious Government doesn’t go around blaming the Opposition for their own problems and that’s what this Government is doing and that’s why I think Australians have had a gutful of them.

MOORE:
Just on another issue quickly. It’s only ten people which in the light of the numbers we’re talking about is quite insignificant but very rare with these Chinese asylum seekers needing help because they’ve come into trouble in Darwin but saying look we don’t want to come to Australia, we want to go to New Zealand. Why don’t we just give them the supplies and send them on their way? From what I can gather, bipartisan-wise people think they should’ve been given the opportunity to just settle in Australia.

MORRISON:
Well they haven’t made a claim for asylum in Australia as far as I’m aware -

MOORE:
No they want to go to New Zealand.

MORRISON:
But I mean this highlights the difference with what we’re seeing today in people coming by boats and what we saw in times past. When you’ve got this country shopping idea, well we won’t claim asylum here, we’d rather do it there because we’ve got family there and we like their regime better than this regime. That’s not what happened with the Indochinese refugee crisis, people were fleeing for their lives, they were getting on anything that floated and they were getting out of there in great danger to themselves and Australia responded to that crisis rightly under the Fraser Government and to compare what happened under the Fraser Government to what we’re seeing now - I think there is no comparison. Look, whatever happens with these ten individuals if they’ve got claims, well you would’ve thought they would’ve made them and, you know, I suspect that may mean if they ever did get to New Zealand that they would be very hard-pressed to make their claim stack up.

MOORE:
Yeah I think that’s a very valid point as well. Thank you for your time as always.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot Warren.

MOORE:
Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

END

Speech : Transcript - Doorstop interview

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Doorstop interview

Wednesday 11th April 2012

SUBJECTS: Arrival of 255 people on two illegal boats, Chinese asylum seekers in Darwin, Craig Thomson

EandOE

MORRISON:

The arrival of more than 250 people overnight makes it the largest single day of arrivals in the history of the Rudd/Gillard government. So far in 2012 the number of arrivals by boat has more than doubled on the same time last year. What we have here is a government that is reaping what it has sewn in terms of bad policy, failed policy and soft policy. Since the government announced their let them in, let them out policy late in November last year we have had almost 3,000 as a result of the government’s policies of bridging visas and community release. Knowledge of these policies is amongst the asylum seekers who are seeking to come to Australia. We had that confirmed yesterday with those taken ashore in Indonesia by the Singaporean vessel that rescued approximately 120 people who were on their way to Australia. They confirmed they had knowledge of that new softer policy of the Gillard Government. The government just simply doesn’t understand that if you continue to soften the policies the boats will continue to come. This has been their record ever since they started tearing down the wall of border protection that John Howard left them three and a half to four years ago. So we now have a situation where we have a government that is unwilling and unable to acknowledge their own policy failures. They are in denial. Their only response to more and more boats coming to Australia is to blame the Opposition. Blaming the Opposition is not a policy, it is just a lame excuse from a government that has basically given up when it comes to boat arrivals

QUESTION:

Inaudible

MORRISON:

Well the government can restore the proven policies of the Coalition this afternoon. It doesn’t require discussion it just requires a decision. If the government wants to stay wedded to failed and bad policy well they will have to talk to their coalition partners the Greens who seem to be driving the government’s agenda on this issue and have now for many years. So it really is a matter for the government to take responsibility for their own policy failures. Blaming the Opposition is not a policy, it is just a lame excuse from a government that has given up.

QUESTION:

Scott may I ask you something about the ten Chinese people that arrived in Darwin, whether they should continue on their journey to New Zealand or whether because of the trauma they have been through whether Australian immigration should cut them a deal.

MORRISON:

Well the issue with the ten Chinese who indicated they wanted to head to New Zealand is that it is a very rare circumstance. New Zealand is rarely, if ever, challenged with these sorts of issues because of their very large northern sea border. But what is an exception for New Zealand is certainly a rule for Australia. Whether they decide to seek asylum in Australia is a matter for them and I understand there are some suggestions they may seek to do that. It is a very perilous voyage at this time of year to go to New Zealand and obviously there are concerns for their safety but I think what it highlights is that we have occasions now where people coming on boats are in the business of country shopping when it comes to where they may seek to make their claim. That is not what I think is intended by the Refugee Convention. It was designed for those directly fleeing a place of persecution going across a border and seeking asylum. What we have now is an industry which takes people half way around the world on planes, puts them on buses, puts them in hotels and then puts them on boats en route to Australia.

QUESTION:

The one thing that you and the government both agree on is that you don’t want people risking their lives, getting on leaky boats. That’s exactly what these Chinese people are going to do if immigration does not cut them a deal, so you are happy then for them to put their lives at risk?

MORRISON:

Well what they do is a matter for them. If they seek to make a claim for asylum in Australia there is a process for them to go through so that is a matter of their own decision. Obviously they have been told about the very real risks of that sea journey and the matter will rest with them and their own decision.

QUESTION:

Inaudible

MORRISON:

This is a problem of the government’s own making. It was the government who decided to abolish the policies that worked, it is the government that refuses to restore those policies. This government has got themselves in this problem entirely of their own decisions and their own soft policies. As long as they choose to go down that path they will continue to have this problem. This is the government’s responsibility to fix and they refuse to do so. They refuse to even talk to their Greens partners if they want to install their own policies and they refuse to restore the policies of the Coalition that they abandoned.

QUESTION:

But isn’t any offshore processing situation better than none?

MORRISON:

The Coalition doesn’t support bad policy or failed policy. If the government wants to cling to bad, failed policies that is a matter for them. If they want to adopt proven policies of the Coalition then they will have our support.

QUESTION:

Inaudible

MORRISON:

Well the issue here is really about what the government is going to do about Craig Thomson. The ACTU have walked away from the HSU and yet Julia Gillard still stands by Craig Thomson. The only difference between Mr Thomson and any other officials from the HSU is that Ms Gillard is relying on the tainted vote of Mr Thomson to retain her tainted government and the government’s and other’s attempts to try and distract attention away from Mr Thomson is I think really trying to put up a smokescreen. The issue here is Julia Gillard continuing to provide her support to a tainted member of her government to prop up what is a tainted government as a result. That will continue to be the challenge for Ms Gillard to explain that to Australians who are just appalled by this whole tawdry affair.

QUESTION:

Inaudible

MORRISON:

Well Craig Thomson is a Member of the Australian Parliament and that matter can only really be resolved through an election. The question here is actually for Ms Gillard as Prime Minister and whether she is prepared to have in her ranks and have her government propped up by someone who is the subject of these very serious allegations and when there is a stench that is rising on a daily basis from the government’s handling of this issue. I think it just further undermines public trust and confidence in Ms Gillard’s judgement and shows why she cannot be trusted on this and so many other issues.

END

Media Release : New Zealand's boat exception is Australia's rule under Labor

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The journey of a boat load of asylum seekers to New Zealand is a rare event, unlike in Australia where it is a common occurrence under Labor’s failed polices, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“New Zealand’s geographic isolation typically makes it uncommon for asylum seekers to make their way there by boat. The Pacific Ocean tends to provide a strong border for New Zealand,” he said.

“New Zealand’s exception, on this occasion, is Australia’s rule under Labor when it comes to illegal boat arrivals.

“The extreme case of a stop over in Darwin by Chinese nationals en route to New Zealand, where they will allegedly make an asylum claim, also demonstrates how our international asylum system is being abused by the practice of country shopping by asylum seekers.

“This practice of country shopping has far greater consequences for Australia, where we do not have the advantage of a boundless ocean on our northern border to also deter boat arrivals.

“There is a reason why more than 16,000 people have sought to come to Australia on 293 boats in the past three and half years - softer policies do not stop boats.

“Labor softened our border protection regime, making Australia a preferred destination for asylum applicants who have the means and mobility to get themselves here.

“These softer policies created an industry for people smugglers that the Coalition estimates has yielded more than $150 million, based on advice from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship that the average passage costs $10,000 per person.

“In relation to the vessel that arrived in Darwin, Australia should be talking with our friends in New Zealand, as friends should, in these circumstances. However, it is important to note that this is not an Australian flagged vessel, with an Australian crew, with any evidence to suggest that it has been organised by people smugglers operating out of Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Indonesia has an Australia problem on boats

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The stand off in Indonesia with Australia bound asylum seekers demonstrates that Indonesia has an ‘Australia problem’, when it comes to the influx of asylum seekers into our region, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“The refusal of the Australia bound asylum seekers to disembark from their Singaporean rescue ship in Indonesia is yet another consequence of Labor’s border policy failures,” Mr Morrison said.

“Unlike the Indochinese refugee crisis of the eighties and early nineties, asylum seekers now seeking to come to Australia by boat are not sourced from our region, rather they are coming from Central Asia and the Middle East into our region,” he said.

“Our region does not have a regional problem, our region has an ‘Australia problem’ under Labor’s failed border polices.

“Indonesian President Yudhoyono referred to the draw of domestic polices that provide incentives for people to get on boats as the sugar on the table.

“When faced with a surge of asylum seeker arrivals from Central Asia and the Middle East on illegal boats between 1999 and 2001, the Howard Government implemented strong measures to ‘take the sugar off the table’.

“The Rudd and Gillard Governments have put the sugar back on the table, by weakening the strong regime they inherited and have remained in denial of the consequences ever since.

“Not only is Australia paying the price with a $3.9 billion budget blow out and the undermining of our own immigration programme, but our regional neighbours are also having to deal with the consequences.

“As long as Labor remains in denial and continues to support weak polices, Indonesia and other regional neighbours will have to continue to deal with this problem of Labor’s making,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Over 250 people have arrived illegally in just five days under Labor

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 53 people on board, is the fourth to arrive this week and means more than 250 people have arrived in just five days as people smugglers continue to ramp up their business in response to Labor's let then in let them out policy of community release, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

"So far this year the number of people arriving by illegal boat has almost doubled on last year as people smugglers continue to react to Labor’s capitulation to the Greens on onshore release," Mr Morrison said.

"This time last year 804 people had arrived while this year 1,563 people have come over the same period.

"Hot off the heels of the biggest summer of boat arrivals on record, people smugglers are sending the loudest possible message that Labor's failed policies are the best incentive they have ever had," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Another boat, another day of the Gillard Labor Government’s inaction and excuses on the border protection crisis they created.

“How desperate does the border protection chaos in our country have to get before the Minister for Immigration Chris Bowen and the Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare, actually take the steps to rectify the situation by reinstating the Coalition’s proven immigration policies that they abolished when they came to office.

“It is clear now that the Gillard Government have resigned themselves to the idea of doing nothing but watch the problem escalate, a resolution that is set to cost the Australian taxpayer billions.

“With a budget blow-out of almost $4 billion and rising, it is now a case of how much more damage Labor will do before the Australian people vote them out of office,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Another boat as more than 100 people arrive every week this year

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the third illegal boat this week, with 71 people on board, means more than 1,500 people have arrived in little over three months, as people smugglers continue to take advantage of Labor’s ‘let them in, let them out’ policy on boat arrivals, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“This year an average of over 100 people are arriving by illegal boat every week as people smugglers continue to take advantage of Labor’s community release policy on boat arrivals which has effectively supercharged the people smuggling trade,” Mr Morrison said.

“Arrivals in 2012 are already up 87% on the same period last year thanks to Labor’s embrace of the Greens and 200 people have arrived this week alone,” he said.

Mr Keenan said: “It is a fundamental responsibility of the Commonwealth Government to protect Australia’s borders yet Labor has presided over a complete collapse of our border security.

“This has come about as a direct result of their deliberate policy decisions, when they came to Government, which dismantled the successful regime put in place by the Howard Government.

“At the time the Labor Party celebrated their “achievement” yet they failed to understand the consequences of what they had done and that it would reinvigorate people smuggling.

“Since that time Labor has had more policy positions than a reasonable person can remember and their latest ploy is to bury their heads in the sand and try to deflect blame for their failure.

“Creating the problem and then ignoring it whilst seeking to blame others is not governing - it is a fundamental failure to accept the responsibility that Government requires,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : 150 boat arrivals and 150 policy failures under PM Gillard

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The illegal arrival of the 150th boat since Julia Gillard became Prime Minister, with 84 people on board, is her 150th policy failure and exposes the deceit of her promise to smash the people smuggling trade before the last election, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“The 150th boat arrival under Julia Gillard’s failed leadership reminds Australians that just as she misled them over the carbon tax, her pledge to smash the people smugglers business model is just another broken promise,” Mr Morrison said.

“People smugglers have made more than $90 million since Julia Gillard became Prime Minister, and business remains as strong as ever. So far in 2012 the number of people to arrive by boat is up more than 75% on the same period last year.

“150 boat arrivals represent 150 policy failures by Julia Gillard as PM, according to the standard she set herself when on the odd occasion a boat arrived under the Howard Government’s proven border protection regime she said, ‘another boat arrival , another policy failure’.

“Rather than restore the polices that worked, Labor’s only response to boat arrivals is to blame the Opposition and seek to reinvent history about their longstanding opposition to offshore processing, that included abolishing the Pacific Solution. That’s not a policy, it’s just another lame excuse.

“The only vote that has been held in the Parliament on the Government’s Malaysian people swap bill was voted against by the Government, who refused to even have it debated. The Malaysian people swap bill is just an excuse to do nothing and blame the Opposition for the Government’s own failures,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “The interception of yet another illegal entry vessel in Australian waters once again highlights the disastrous state of our borders in which people smugglers are running a rampant business to the detriment and risk of people’s lives, all courtesy of the Gillard Government’s policy failures.

“How can this Labor Government justify ripping millions of dollars out of the key border protection agencies at a time when they are severely overstretched and under resourced thanks to the disastrous mismanagement of funding by the Gillard Government.

“The immense strain and pressure that has been placed on the men and women who work tirelessly in our frontline national security and border protection agencies is of great concern to the Coalition.

“How much longer will the Gillard Government continue to risk the lives of our Border Protection Command and those who continue to make this dangerous journey across our borders, through their consistent inaction and their inability to accept responsibility for the crisis they created?

“As Australia’s borders crumble around us it is essential that the Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare, starts to repair the extensive damage caused by Labor’s cuts. To start with the Minister must reinstate the $58.1 million that Labor gutted from Customs before he even begins to address the other multiple holes left in our border protection system,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Over 16,000 arrivals on 290 boats and Labor still not listening

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The arrival of another illegal boat, with 45 people on board, means more than 16,000 people have now arrived on 290 illegal boats under Labor’s failed border protection policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said.

“Just like on the carbon tax, Labor remains locked in a severe state of policy denial on its border protection failures and are still not listening to the Australian people,” Mr Morrison said.

“The only difference between Anna Bligh and Julia Gillard is that, by comparison, Queenslanders actually liked Anna Bligh,” he said.

“Labor have received successive drubbings at the NSW and Queensland state elections because of their deceit, spin and incompetence. Australians are sending Labor a message that they simply won’t put up with this type of Government but it’s falling on deaf ears.

“This is no truer than with Labor’s failures on border protection, as yet another boat arrival demonstrates, with Labor crashing through the 16,000 arrival barrier, yielding more than $150 million for people smugglers.

“The government refuses to implement the policies that worked and boats continue to arrive as a result.

“This government can’t be trusted when it comes to border protection. They are engaged in deep policy envy because they have no proven policies of their own, only a litany of failure to their name.

“The government could restore any of the Coalition’s measures today and yet they are engaged in stubborn denial just as they are with the Queensland election results.

“Whether it is on border protection, the carbon tax or their waste or mismanagement, Labor simply don’t get it. You can’t lie to the Australian people and fail to protect our borders and expect the Australian people to give you a tick,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Labor and their Ministers seem incapable of taking responsibility for the border crisis they created.

“Their response now to every boat arrival is to finger point at others rather than accept it is actually the job of the Government to address these issues,” he said.

“Labor are unable and ill equipped to govern and are more at home as a perpetual opposition than in taking decisions that are required by the national interest.

“It is of concern that the latest arrival was intercepted just off the Northern Territory coastline which is an indicator that Border Protection are struggling to do their job in light of the starvation of resources from the Labor Party.

“Boats arriving so close to Australian territory is bad for Australia but also dangerous for asylum seekers themselves.

“How can Labor justify ripping resources from our border protection agencies at a time when their policies have left those same agencies so overstretched?” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - Sky News AM Agenda

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Sky News AM Agenda

Monday 2nd April 2012

SUBJECTS: Nielsen Poll, ASIO security checks for illegal boat arrivals, UNHCR asylum seeker statistics

E and OE

GILBERT:
Joining me now from our Sydney CBD studios the Shadow Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison. Mr Morrison, thanks for your time, a lot to talk about in your area of responsibility. First of all I want to get your reaction to this latest Nielsen Poll, you’ve got to be feeling comfortable with these numbers?

MORRISON:
Well look I think Labor’s in complete denial when it comes to these polls that we’ve seen today. What we’re seeing in these polls today is that Labor just simply doesn’t get it. They got the message sent to them in Queensland the other week and they’ve been in denial about what that all meant. And what it all meant is when Labor lies to the electorate before an election, the Australian people get very, very hot under the collar about that and that’s the one thing they refuse to face up to in the face of these recent polls. Labor now, I think, are in the situation where they are literally scrambling from one day to the next, trying to understand what this all means for them but it’s – the truth is there, right in front of them. They lied to the electorate, their Government has shown a trail of incompetence and these are the same themes we saw in Queensland. It’s no surprise that the same poll today puts Labor in Queensland on 22 in Queensland – 22. And in NSW on 26. So that’s the verdict which the Australians keep registering with this Government but this Government continues to be in complete denial, I mean, they really did get the rough end of the Queensland pineapple the other week and they’ve gone around in complete denial about what it means. And rather, they’ve actually being triumphing and trumpeting the fact about their carbon tax, when their carbon tax is the big lie that the Australian people are trying to tell them is something they just won’t cop.

GILBERT:
What about the mining tax though? It seems the numbers have shifted on that front and a majority actually back the idea of taxing the big miners to provide a company tax for other businesses.

MORRISON:
Well I think on all of these issues there’s going to be a range of opinions but I think the key point that the Government is failing to listen to the Australian people on is on issues of cost of living, on issues of the impact of their carbon tax, on issues such as their failures on border protection which we’ll talk about in a minute. On all of these things the Government have closed their ears. They closed their ears in Queensland, they closed their ears in NSW and now the Government runs around oblivious I think to what’s happening around them and what Australian families are facing. I mean, just take the suggestion – Tony made the suggestion the other day that the Productivity Commission should look at more flexible arrangements in terms of how people arrange their child care which might include shift workers using nannies and the Government rejected it. Every time the Coalition puts up a policy, the Government completely rejects it. It really is relentless negativity from the Government on Coalition policy.

GILBERT:
Let’s get to border protection and yesterday you said it was absurd for a Parliamentary committee recommendation that asylum seekers who have an adverse security finding that they might have an appeal against the ASIO judgements or the security agency’s judgements. Why is that absurd? Is there no mechanism at all that can be established where people might have a right of appeal that keeps the security agencies work and judgements confidential?

MORRISON:
No I am not aware of one and I don’t think one does exist that we can meaningfully put in place in Australia. It may make the lawyers happy who are funded by the Australian taxpayer in all these issues but I don’t think it is the right way for Australia’s national security. We have had 20 times the incidents of negative findings - adverse security assessments for those who’ve arrived by boat versus the 66,000 other referrals that have been made by DIAC to ASIO. So we do have a particular issue here and I think it’s important the processes and intelligence and how that intelligence is interrogated needs to be very much a secure process and I don’t think there is a case to jeopardise that as the majority report of Labor and the Greens have suggested.

GILBERT:
What about the time limit suggestion? Do you agree in principle that asylum seekers should be kept in detention for as short a time as possible?

MORRISON:
Well of course people’s applications and assessments should be done expeditiously, we have always thought that. The difficulty here is this – we believe that someone should remain in detention until their refugee determination has been finalised. Now for vulnerable people we believe there is an exception and that is why we put the residence determination powers in place to create the opportunity to allow people to be released in those situations. But to create a statutory requirement, to create a set of conditions that can then be appealed in the courts, to create other layers here into a system this Government has already muddled I think would make matters worse, not better. The real way you keep people out of detention is you stop them coming in the first place and this is the point our dissenting report made. The majority report talks about the flood and doesn’t talk about the rain. The rain in this case was, at the time of the riots, 12,000 people turning up, 6,500 people being in that network who had arrived by boat compared to four when we left office. That is why it was taking too long Kieran and the asylum freeze that they put in place which clogged the system up for another six months. That is how the riots happened. Bad policy, bad decisions, failed borders and the place blew up.

GILBERT:
Aren’t we focusing too much on this issue though when you look at the numbers - they have actually declined in the last calendar year according to the UNHCR, the numbers went down last year. You wouldn’t think it given all the rhetoric in this debate.

MORRISON:
That is like suggesting they were behind in the first three quarters by about 100 points and then in the last quarter they came back by 10. All we are talking about here Kieran is a Government that has failed to manage our borers which led to a 189% increase according to the UNHCR of asylum applications made in Australia over the last four years. That includes the 9% fall last year – 189% while at the same period the global average was just over 30%. So six times the increase and the Government wants to hold this out as a success and if the media and the Government is going to set that as the bar that is an extremely low bar to set. The Government really has failed on this front, they still have no answers, they have developed a severe case of policy envy when they seek to trash any other policy that is out there simply because their own are ineffective and have failed.

GILBERT:
And just quickly we are almost out of time Mr Morrison, what are your expectations for the year ahead? Is the advice you’ve got that those numbers will return to the higher levels we saw a couple of years ago or will they plateau out?

MORRISON:
Well I can only go off what the Government themselves are forecasting. The Government themselves are forecasting around 7,500 people to turn up by the time of the next election, they are their own figures. I mean this is – we’ll see this continue from the Government and we’ll continue to see the denial, Kieran, we’ll continue to see the denial that has characterised their approach all the way through and it’s that same denial that the Australian people I think are frustrated with and that’s why we’ve seen these results again in Nielsen today; the Governments not listening, whether it’s on borders or the carbon tax and a Prime Minister who’s incredibly unpopular as a result. I mean the only difference between Anna Bligh and Julia Gillard in Queensland is, relatively speaking, Anna Bligh was more popular.

GILBERT:
Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison – as always, appreciate your making some time for us. Thanks for that.

MORRISON:
Thanks Kieran, good to be with you.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - ABC Insiders

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - ABC Insiders

Sunday 1st April 2012

Subjects: Senator Judith Adams, mandatory detention, ASIO security checks for illegal boat arrivals, UNHCR asylum seeker statistics

EandOE

BARRIE CASSIDY: To our program guest now, the Shadow Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, who joins us this morning from our Sydney studio. Good morning, welcome.

SCOTT MORRISON: G'day Barrie.

BARRIE CASSIDY: And apart from being a very handy golfer and bowler, Senator Judith Adams, what will she be remembered for?

SCOTT MORRISON: Well she'd be remembered as a passionate advocate for Western Australia. She'll be remembered as someone who stood up for regional Australia. She was a nurse, she was a midwife; but as you just heard then she was a great mum and a great grandmother. And in all of our roles our most important are in the family, and I think that's where Judith will be particularly remembered by Stuart and Robert and all of the family and our thoughts and prayers are with them this morning.

BARRIE CASSIDY: If we go on now to the inquiry into detention centres, and what's wrong with a 90 day limit on processing asylum seekers? Why is that not long enough to sort out their status.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well it should be long enough when your system doesn't have 6,500 people in it Barrie. And I think that's the key point here. We believe that the residence determination powers should be used as we introduced them; the people who are vulnerable should be released if they're in a position of vulnerability.

The problem we have with this Government is - they had such a target Barrie, as you know, they had a target of 90 days, they were unable to achieve it because so many people turned up on so many boats and the population in the detention network went to 6,500 from just 4,000 that they inherited.

So talking about this issue and just talking about what's happening in the detention network without talking about the forces that led that detention network to collapse is a bit like talking about a flood and not talking about the rain.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Yes, but you say then that you should be able to do it in 90 days; so is it just a question of resources? In government would you throw enough resources at it so that you could process as many as 6,000 in that time frame?

SCOTT MORRISON: I don't think we should be processing 6,000. I think we should be processing 4,000. And the point I made the other day, if you're going to have, as we believe you should, the detention network and a mandatory detention system, it must sit alongside strong border protection controls as we had. Now, when the Government abandoned those strong border protection regime measures they inherited, well, this all turned to custard. And it was only a matter of time.

And that's the point we made in our report. And that is, if you're going to just basically let loose on your borders then you're going to have the situation where your detention system collapses, as it did. And it went in flames.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Yeah, but depending on, you're saying that it can be done in 90 days, why don't you commit to that? Why don't you accept that 90 days is a reasonable time frame?

SCOTT MORRISON: Well this is something we also pursued when we were in government. We don't have a problem with people being processed quickly. What we have a problem with is creating some sort of regulatory standard or requirement that only provides another form of appeal that further frustrates and complicates the system. By all means people should be processed in an expeditious manner, but to create further regulation around this I think only makes matters worse.

But the question I think misses the big point: if you don't have a strong border protection regime then these are the problems you're confronting. Back in 2007 we weren't confronted with these challenges in our detention network. The Government changed those measures and history is the judge of what happened as a result of that, absolute chaos. And this inquiry, Barrie, was into the riots, something that people don't seem to mention much in raising matters in relation to the inquiry. This - a year ago they went up in flames and people wanted to know why. And the reason it happened is the Government lost control of the borders, the population in the detention network effectively overwhelmed it and it collapsed.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But didn't it also happen because there were people who turned out to be genuine refugees who were frustrated with the time that it was taking this country to process their status?

SCOTT MORRISON: Well when you have that many people turn up in that short a succession of time, then this is the inevitable consequence of it. And that's why I keep stressing we've got to deal with the cause here. We don't just deal with a sneeze; you've got to deal with the cold. And that's what this Government hasn't done.

And in our report we made something very clear; prior to the 2010 election, Senator Evans, who was the minister, had the opportunity to respond to a draft report, the Hamburger Report, of which he had the recommendations, which said this was going to blow. Now he refused to further expand the network to take account of that, he refused to even embrace the policies the Government now have, which the Greens advocated, and he certainly refused to embrace the policies the Coalition had advocated to stop the people coming in the first place. He did nothing and he left his successor, Chris Bowen, with an inevitable crisis.

BARRIE CASSIDY: You do seem to be saying, though that 90 days is not an unreasonable amount of time. And why not impose that sort of discipline upon those who deal with this because according to the inquiry's report 90 per cent of those detainees suffer clinically significant depression, a half, half of them are diagnosed with post traumatic stress, a quarter have suicidal thoughts?

SCOTT MORRISON: Well one of the things we did Barrie is we've supported 16 of the 31 recommendations, which I'm sure you know. So a majority of the recommendations we actually supported. The ones we didn't support were things like ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) checks being subject to AAT (Administrative Appeals Tribunal) and the courts. But the things we did support were particularly in the area of improved mental health arrangements, going into centres, being more proactive and ensuring that the appropriate standards and qualifications were in place. These were measures we supported.

But I say again, Barrie, and I know you think I may be a broken record on this, but if you don't have a strong border protection regime you're mandatory detention network will fail. And that is the lesson, I think, of this experience.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But do you have a degree of sympathy, though, for people, especially those who turn out to be genuine refugees, who have to go through such a long process, and these are people who have already suffered a lot.

SCOTT MORRISON: I have a deep sympathy for the 54,000 people who applied for asylum offshore last year as well; and we settled 13,750 refugees a year, as we should, the most generous per capita program in the world. And what I am concerned is that program has dropped to 8,970 for people who are applying offshore. And that's several thousand positions that have been lost to the offshore program as a result of the fact the Government can't get their border protection policies right. ...

BARRIE CASSIDY: So what's the percentage of boat people?

SCOTT MORRISON: There are issues across the board here Barrie, you have to address, it's not as simple I think as you suggest.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But when you took at the total immigration intake, what's the percentage of boat people? It's at something like 2 per cent isn't it?

SCOTT MORRISON: Well so is the suggestion then Barrie that we shouldn't have a strong border protection regime?

BARRIE CASSIDY: No, I'm not suggesting that at all. I'm just ...

SCOTT MORRISON: I think Australians believe we should have one.

BARRIE CASSIDY: It's putting the whole thing into perspective, into context.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well what we've had is an explosion in the Budget from - $85 million it cost to run this when we left office; it now costs almost $1.2 billion. Now the reason that happened is because at the time of the riots 1,200 people turned up on 231 boats, and there were 6,500 people in the detention network. I mean that was a toxic cocktail which was always going to blow. The Government sat in denial for years and it simply followed its natural course. And that is what the Coalition members and senators found in the inquiry.

So by all means make improvements to the system, and we've supported recommendations that do that, but don't ignore the cause, which I think the majority report did.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Now you're also saying you will oppose any appeal against ASIO assessments, that's right?

SCOTT MORRISON: I think that is an absurd suggestion. I mean what it does is I think it exposes the processes and systems and intelligence sources and other things that relate to how ASIO do this, to things that it shouldn't be exposed to. I mean we rely on these assessments; the committee made it clear that they didn't think that these assessments had been arrived at lightly.

And one of the things David Irvine said at the inquiry, in going through the figures - I mean those who have come, IMAs (Irregular Maritime Arrivals), have been 20 times more likely to receive a negative security assessment than the 66,000 other applications that are referred to ASIO by DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship). And not one person who'd arrived by plane over the previous three years and sought asylum had had an adverse ASIO security assessment.

So this is an area that is more acute to this form of arrival. And to provide another opportunity for people to appeal endlessly in the courts I think is a bad move and we won't support it.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But again, sometimes ASIO gets it wrong. Now what happens to those people who suffer under that sort of arrangement? As Darryl Melham said, it's sort of treating non citizens as second class citizens.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well this is a national security issue Barrie, at the end of the day, and we rely on ASIO to make assessments in this area absolutely. I mean they are the keepers here.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But they can get it wrong...

SCOTT MORRISON: And to expose their processes to that level of inquiry and review I think would compromise how they do their job. And I don't think that's in Australia's national interests.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Well at least the numbers coming to Australia are in decline, do you welcome that?

SCOTT MORRISON: Come on Barrie, they're up 189 per cent on when the Government came to office. I saw those figures, they dropped 9 per cent, and at the same time they have gone up 189 per cent since 2007.
I mean, I know the Government has tried to spin it that way Barrie, but clearly no Australian believes that this Government has got this issue under control. I mean at ...

BARRIE CASSIDY: I think it was the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) that...

SCOTT MORRISON: ... the same time they went down in the UK by 10 per cent over that period; they went down in Canada; they went down in Sweden; and into Australia over the last four years they've gone up almost 190 per cent.

BARRIE CASSIDY: No, they're down 9 per cent when you compare 2011 with 2010, that's the most recent history; and up almost 20 per cent everywhere else.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well I've just given you the figures; around the world over the last four years they went up 30 per cent and in Australia they went up 189 per cent to the most recent figures. So if you want to talk about trends Barrie...

BARRIE CASSIDY: But not 2011 compared with 2010.

SCOTT MORRISON: That's the trend, up 190 per cent over the last four years; over a 30 per cent increase around the world. If the Government and the media want to call that success, if that's where you want to set the bar, well it's a pretty low bar.

BARRIE CASSIDY: How about these figures: Australia, 11,000, we take 11,000; USA 74,000; France 52,000; even Sweden, 29,000. Why make a fuss about such relatively low figures?

SCOTT MORRISON: This is about the integrity of our immigration program Barrie, and Australians feel very strongly that people should come to Australia in an orderly fashion. It's not, as some have suggested, that Australia is somehow being overrun by people, that is not what is happening, it's about the integrity of the program and the integrity of our offshore program, which is being compromised.

The inquiry report found, and Mr Richmond, who did an inquiry into our settlement services found, the IMA intake is compromising the settlement services being provided to refugees being resettled. And at the end of the day, as we all know, and I've been talking about this for years, is that people getting on boats put their lives at risk. Now all of those are the reasons why we think it is a big deal Barrie and will continue to think it is a big deal. We've been consistent on it for a decade and we'll continue to have that resolve.

BARRIE CASSIDY: But why do you ignore and refuse to accept the most recent trends? It just leads the impression that you see this is a valuable political issue.

SCOTT MORRISON: Barrie, that's absurd. I have just told you what the trend is. One year isn't a trend, the trend over four years ...

BARRIE CASSIDY: Two years...

SCOTT MORRISON: ... since this Government came to office ...

BARRIE CASSIDY: 2011 compared with 2010.

SCOTT MORRISON: The trend over four years is six times the global average and you want to hail that as some sort of success for the Government, I mean that's just ridiculous. This Government does not have this issue under control. And if they want to take comfort about the fact over the last summer we had more boats and more people on boats to the end of February - from December to February - than at any other time in our history, then, you know live in la la land on that issue. Because the truth is ...

BARRIE CASSIDY: You know they actually went into decline, briefly, while the Malaysian solution was on the table and after the High Court decision they went up again.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well they started actually going up before that Barrie, if you look at the records clearly. And what we saw over Christmas and over the summer period, after the Government announced what is effectively the let them in, let them out policy, we had the biggest summer of boats on record.

They don't have a measure on this Barrie, they don't have a handle on it, they never have. They've chopped and changed their position more times than you can even dream of, and the situation remains unresolved. And that's where we find ourselves today.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Scott Morrison, thanks for your time this morning, I appreciate it.

SCOTT MORRISON: Thanks a lot Barrie.

END

Media Release : Riots caused by too many people on too many boats

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Too many people turning up on too many boats because of Labor’s border protection failures and their denial of these failures, led to the collapse of Australia’s immigration detention network, according to the Coalition members of the Joint Select Committee Inquiry that reported today.

“The riots that took place a year ago appalled our nation. These riots were the inevitable consequence of Labor’s decision to abandon a border protection regime that worked and the denial that they had a problem as every boat arrived. That denial continues to this day,” Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Our immigration detention network failed as a result of the Labor Government’s wilful and negligent dismantling of the Howard Government’s strong border protection policies which resulted in too many boats arriving,” he said.

“When we left office there were just four people in detention in Australia who arrived by boat. When the riots erupted on Christmas Island there were more than 6,500 boat arrivals in the system.

“Prior to 2008, the number of incidents in our detention network was negligible because the boats had stopped. The system was stable and under control.

“Labor’s border protection failures energised people smugglers to create a $150 million business over the last three and a half years. Our immigration detention network was simply unable to cope with the resulting flow of boats.

“Labor’s denial of their self made crisis on our borders put the Government in a state of paralysis. The combination of failed measures such as the asylum freeze, the East Timor debacle and their refusal to address the severe capacity constraints before the 2010 election created a toxic cocktail that fuelled the riots on Christmas Island.

“After the election the Government refused to prepare themselves for the inevitable riots headed their way, with critical security infrastructure upgrades ignored, response procedures not put in place and total confusion when it came to the responsibilities of police, DIAC and Serco.

“The Coalition has taken a constructive approach to the inquiry and have supported half of the recommendations of the majority report. However this report, by Labor the Greens and Mr Oakeshott, completely ignores the role of the government’s failed border protection policies.

“The Coalition has consistently maintained that the combination of strong border protection policies and mandatory detention is critical to avoid the chaos that has occurred in our detention network under this Government’s failed and non-existent border protection policies.

“When you are dealing with very few people in the detention systems, as was the case in November 2007, meeting a ninety day deadline to assess people’s claims is totally achievable. When you have filled the network with over 6,500 detainees, because of your failed border policies and add in a six month asylum freeze for good measure, it is virtually impossible.

“That’s why the Coalition report calls for the immediate restoration of the Howard Government’s strong border protection policies. Only the Coalition’s proven border protection measures can restore integrity and control to our borders and ultimately to our detention system,” Mr Morrison said.

*** Key findings of the Coalition’s dissenting report attached. Full report available here ***

Speech : Transcript - Doorstop interview

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Doorstop interview

Friday 30th March 2012

SUBJECT: Coalition’s Dissenting Report on the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Immigration Detention Network

EandOE

MORRISON:
A year ago, Australia’s Immigration detention descended into chaos. Into riots, into fires, into violence, into break outs. These things happened on Australian soil at Christmas Island and later at Villawood. Australians were rightly appalled at what they saw and they wanted answers. They wanted to understand how something like this could’ve been allowed to have happened on our soil. The fact that Australian Federal Police had to physically retake a Commonwealth facility that the government had lost control over I think was the lowest point in all of the rolling crisis that we’ve seen in the Immigration detention network under this government.

The Coalition as a result of these events demanded answers. It was the Coalition who moved that a committee inquiry, a parliamentary inquiry be established into just what happened and to more broadly look at issues within the Australian immigration detention network. We were pleased to put forward that inquiry and we were pleased to gain the support of the Parliament in both the House of Representatives and in the Senate. The government initially had rejected the notion of an inquiry. They had dismissed it as a political stunt and after now many, many months of evidence and taking submissions, it is clear to me why they were so resistant in allowing the matters that were allowed to happen on their watch that led to the riots at Christmas Island and Villawood, why they didn’t want those matters looked into.

Our detention network collapsed because simply too many people turned up on too many boats as a result of Labor’s border protection failures. To not talk about how many boats arrived and how many people piled into the detention network and the reason why that happened is a bit like trying to talk about a flood without talking about the rain. It’s absolutely important that we look seriously as to why this occurred. The reason too many people turned up on too many boats is because this government abolished the proven border protection regime they inherited from John Howard. When they abolished that proven border protection regime, they abolished the absolute nexus required for an effective mandatory detention program. Mandatory detention requires a strong border protection regime to back it up. And when you lose that strong border protection regime, then what happens is what we saw happen in our immigration detention network.

This Government has abolished every remaining brick in John Howard’s wall of border protection that was built up over six years. When they came to office, there were just four people in the detention network who had arrived by boat. Boats were arriving at an average of around three per year and around 150 people over that entire time. What we need to focus on is what happened since then after they abolished those measures.

Since the riots, over 10,500 people have turned up on 232 boats and there were over 6500 people in the detention networks. Now this didn’t happen on its own. And this was the driving force that we saw right through the inquiry after report after report, after witness after witness said simply that the detention network couldn’t cope with this level of arrivals. And as they piled in, we saw the pressures mount. We saw the incidents rise from an average of just one critical incident per month to one incident in less than every six hours in the network. This is what the situation became at the time of the situation on Christmas Island.

Now I focus very heavily on the riots in my statements today because they have not been focused on, I believe, in the majority report that has been made public today. The Australian people particularly wanted answers as to how and why this happened. So firstly it was because of the Government’s decision to abolish the border protection regime of the Howard Government that led to the record level of arrivals that overwhelmed our detention network, whether it was Serco, whether it was the government, whether it was the other agencies that were involved.

Secondly, our report which numbers to almost 100 pages going into these issues details very clearly that prior to the 2010 election, Minister Evans failed to act on the advice and the reports and the warnings that were coming to him that he either had to do something to stop the boats coming or he needed to urgently expand the detention network. Equally, he had to reverse the discriminatory asylum freeze that he’d put in place in April 2010 which on all reports indicated that this was just making a bad situation worse. What Minister Evans did before the August 2010 election was nothing.

In the face of a clear recommendation from what is known as the draft Hamburger report, which under evidence DIAC confirmed the Minister had knowledge of, that the Department Secretary had knowledge of, he simply did nothing. He neither embraced the policies of the Greens at that time prior to an election, which the government has subsequently done now, nor did he embrace the policies of the Coalition. He sat there and did nothing.

This leads me to the third point. After the election, Minister Bowen took the advice to expand the detention network but by that time it was far too late. The die had already been cast. What Minister Bowen’s failings are, as we’ve identified in our report, is to fail to prepare the network for the crisis that was certainly coming. And that was demonstrated in some evidence given by Assistant-Commissioner of Police in NSW Frank Mennilli who said in August 2010 there was a desktop exercise undertaken with Serco and DIAC. He sought to elevate that desktop exercise to deal with a fire at Villawood. He was told after that incident that that would never happen and I think that indicates the level of alert and the level of awareness about what was really coming down the pipe in that detention network.

So we had the situation where critical issues such as the electric fence not being switched on, Federal Police with high level public order management training removed from Christmas Island, we had raceways between compounds which had been identified as having serious infrastructure deficiencies not addressed and we had no critical incident response management plan on Christmas Island or at Villawood when it all turned to custard. These things were under the Minister’s direct responsibility to ensure were in place; the steps were not taken despite the fact that he was getting report after report from his department week after week in daily briefings and weekly briefings that the system was running out of control.

Finally we make some recommendations into how some of these matters need to be addressed but the other area of failing of both Minister Evans and Minister Bowen was their failing to have DIAC sit down with Serco and renegotiate the contract. When the contract was negotiated with Serco, the system looked nothing like what it did when the riots hit in 2011. At no time was that contract renegotiated; at no time was there a look at how things should be recalibrated to address what they were now facing. What all this points to is months and months, if not years of denial of the problem that they created of their own making. And that was to dismantle what they inherited from John Howard – the boats came, the people came, the detention centres filled up and they eventually were set on fire and that’s what happened.

I want to conclude by saying that this Inquiry has been I think a very professional inquiry as the Chair has indicated and I pass on my thanks to Daryl Melham, who I’ve known for many years, and the other members of the committee. I particularly want to thank the Committee Secretariat who’ve been very diligent and I commend them for the work that they have done. It is true that the Coalition has very much engaged constructively in this exercise. Having proposed this inquiry, of course this was what we were always going to do. We have supported 16 of the 31 recommendations. We have not supported all of the recommendations and actively rejected a number of those recommendations. We have put forward our own recommendations that deal with matters of security, which deal with matters of restoring strong border protection policies. We remain committed to mandatory detention combined with a strong border protection policy. That’s what worked when we were last in government, that will work again and that is what we will restore. Thank you.

QUESTION:
So what’s the main part of the committee’s report that you have rejected and why?

MORRISON:
Well the committee makes 31 recommendations. As I just said, the Coalition remains committed to a mandatory detention policy with a stronger border protection regime. That’s our commitment and this majority report from the Greens and Labor and Rob Oakeshott effectively seeks to walk away from that and we don’t support that. And there are many others there and they’ll be circulated and I’m happy to talk questions on them.

QUESTION:
Do you support the main recommendation of the report which is essentially that people should be kept in detention centres for as little time as possible? There’s also a recommendation that suggests a 90 day time limit would be appropriate, do you support those recommendations?

MORRISON:
Well we believe that mandatory detention should be in place until someone’s status has been determined, that’s what we practised in government and combined with a strong border protection policy, it resulted in just four people being in detention and we think that’s the sort of outcome we need to get to. And in government, we achieved that outcome and we believe we can achieve that outcome again.

QUESTION:
Does that mean you’re objecting to the main recommendation of the report [inaudible]?

MORRISON:
Well I’ve given you my answer. We support the continuation of the policy of detention until someone’s refugee status has been determined. That has always been our policy. That has been our policy for a decade. See, the Coalition doesn’t chop and change when it comes to these matters. We remain very consistent with the views that we’ve held, the policies we’ve employed and the measures that have worked. The government has had every single position under the sun on this issue. At least the Greens have been consistent on this issue. The Government now agrees with the Greens – they can explain that but the Coalition remains firm on the positions we’ve taken and the people smugglers know that better than anyone else.

QUESTION:
Do you support a time limit?

MORRISON:
We support the maintenance of detention for persons until their refugee status is determined.

QUESTION:
So no time frame?

MORRISON:
Well I’ve given you my answer.

QUESTION:
So in that case you don’t support the recommendations of the bridging visas once the initial security checks have been done?

MORRISON:
Bridging visas were actually introduced by the Coalition for people who were deemed to be vulnerable in the exercise of Residence Determination powers. Now we have always supported that policy. What the Government has done is turn that into a mainstream release policy. Now that is a very different proposition and in the report we make it clear that that is not something we support. What we support is dealing with the root cause of what’s going on here and the Government and the majority report completely ignores that position. If people don’t come on boats, there’s no one in detention. That’s the best way to ensure there’s no one in detention.

QUESTION:
What about the recommendation that the Immigration Minister be removed as a legal guardian for unaccompanied minors?

MORRISON:
No, we believe the existing guardianship arrangements are appropriate.

QUESTION:
So you say you’ve supported 16 of the 31 recommendations – what are some of the examples of that?

MORRISON:
Largely they deal with some of the more practical issues around, for example, I mean the first recommendation of the committee regarding the maintenance of robust procedures to observe the contract. Now what we need to be very clear about here is there have been many criticisms of Serco in this report. Serco for all intents and purposes here are the government. When you contract a service to be delivered by another party, a private contractor, you can’t contract away your accountability. The government cannot hold up Serco as a scapegoat for their failures in the detention network. Serco ended up having to deal with a system and a policy not of their making but of the government’s making and the government at no time sought to renegotiate that position which may have enabled Serco to have a better and more effective response and as a result there should be strong contractual management procedures in place and where those recommendations had been made we supported them.

QUESTION:
So do you support the recommendation to have an independent expert inquire into the appropriate qualifications for Serco staff?

MORRISON:
Yes we have supported that recommendation.

QUESTION:
More generally what does this report tell you about whether offshore processing would be a better option people than detention?

MORRISON:
Well the majority report doesn’t talk about it at all. The majority report, certainly I the comments made today by the chair, doesn’t talk about the riots at all. Our recommendation is to restore offshore processing on Nauru as part of a series of measures that are proven and have worked. That is our recommendation and that is our policy.

QUESTION:
What does the report tell you about the effect of detention on those who are detained?

MORRISON:
I’ve visited as many of these centres, probably more than most, and I think one of the critical issues we found in the Inquiry was the length of the detention and how that had significantly increased. And that was why we were so critical of the government’s asylum freeze. The government put in place in April 2010, when they knew the detention population was increasing, in a fit of denial and panic, an asylum freeze that effectively locked the network up for six months. They added an extra six months to everybody’s time in detention. We thought that was madness. It was not only madness but it was absolutely discriminatory. It said that if you were an Afghan, or if you were Sri Lankan, we were not going to assess your claim. Now this is a Government that says they support a non-discriminatory immigration policy. That policy was in complete violation of that position and it was rejected by the Coalition. So length of detention I think became an absolutely critical problem in this process. But the problem is with length of detention – when you’ve gone from four people in detention to 6,500 people in detention, the system groans and basically collapses upon itself. That’s why I say if you’re going to have, as we believe you should, a detention system that’s mandatory, it must be combined with a strong border protection regime. These two are joined at the hip. This government broke that nexus and it broke the detention network in the process and they should be accountable for that and yet they refuse to take accountability for that and were in complete denial about their role in all of these terrible outcomes.

QUESTION:
But the Greens will say it’s the Coalition’s policies that are keeping people in detention until they are granted refugee status exacerbates the problem of how long asylum seekers are kept in detention.

MORRISON:
Well the Greens have a policy which says they have no problem with people just simply coming - they have always had that position and they have always adopted a let them in let them out approach. The government has now also joined them in that approach and that is their right to do so. The Coalition believes that you have to put up strong border protection and for those who do manage to come through the net, then you have a system of mandatory detention that’s in place. Now when we operated that system, as I said, we ended up with a situation in 2007 when there were four people in detention, the number of incidents taking place in the network was negligible. It is only once the population started to soar that the system began to crack and eventually break.

QUESTION:
The inquiry does focus on rethinking perhaps the remote location of detention centres, do you have any thoughts about that?

MORRISON:
Well I always take a fairly open-minded approach to this, particularly when I was in Scherger. That was a decision that was taken by the government in haste after the 2010 election because Senator Evans had failed to make a decision for months and months before. I make this point, during the August 2010 election campaign, the Prime Minister made it clear to the Australian people she had no intention of expanding the detention network, that it wasn’t necessary. As soon as her Immigration Minister was appointed, that was the first thing he did. So that, I think, put the system under a lot of stress and a lot of hasty decisions were made. Scherger was one of those decisions. There were more health services provided in that one detention centre in Scherger than the entire Cape York Peninsula and in particular in remote Indigenous communities, which was some of the evidence we received while we were up there. So remote centres, particularly in places like Scherger, present real challenges. But case by case scenario, make a good decision based on the advice you have available to you and the information that is there. Now we’ve operated centres in places like Nauru and Manus Island, places such as that, I mean the hospital on Nauru has more capacity than the hospital on Christmas Island. So where you can put the facilities in place, it works. Where you can’t, I think it creates great cost and stress.

QUESTION:
The committee says if all its recommendations are implemented it will save taxpayers money. Wouldn’t that be something you would support?

MORRISON:
Well what I know is if they implemented recommendation one of the Coalition’s dissenting report, which is to restore a proven border protection policy, we would save hundreds of millions. I mean, it cost $85 million to run the asylum seeker management program when the Coalition left office. the bill for that in 2011-12 is over $1.1 billion. The blowouts, as pointed out in our report, now over budget $3.9 billion. That’s what happens when you don’t put in place the proper border protection regime in the first place. There seems to be, I think, a view that what the report needed to address was what happened after the crisis, not what actually caused the crisis in the first place. We don’t want to deal with the symptoms here, we want to deal with the cause. And that’s what our report focuses on.

QUESTION:
Just one thing from the majority report on community detention, so why don’t you support the recommendation that asylum seekers found to be refugees just have an assessment [inaudible]. Why don’t you want them placed in community detention?

MORRISON:
Our position is the Residence Determination powers are available to the Minister to place anybody in the community who is deemed to be vulnerable. That was our policy and that remains our policy. We don’t agree with a blanket policy of community release and a blanket policy of bridging visas. We believe the policy should be as we crafted it and as we put it into practise. Where people are vulnerable, residence determination powers are available. And it’s interesting that those residence determination powers were not used by this Government until after the 2010 election when, by that time, there was over 700 children in the network.

QUESTION:
I’ve just had a really quick look at these recommendations; it seems that it’s pretty much a run down of where the Coalition’s always been …[inaudible]… so how did this inquiry change your views at all?

MORRISON:
It’s reinforced I think in our view, and it absolutely has reinforced, that when you lose control of your borders, you will lose control of your detention network. And that’s what’s happened. And it’s reinforced the need to have those strong measures in place in the first place and we focused in our dissenting report very much on that point because it was one that no one wanted to confront. The Government certainly wanted to deny it and we thought it was critical that this point was made. Now, beyond that, I think there are some practical suggestions that are laid out in the committee’s report that we have supported. It’s not the normal practise for the Opposition to go through recommendation by recommendation and put a position and we considered that. And I think it was the right thing to do to do that because this was a very constructive exercise, it was a constructive inquiry and as I said I commend the Chair for the way in which he handled the inquiry. So there are some things we’ve supported, there are others we have not. In particular, we reject the suggestion that there should be an AAT [Administrative Appeals Tribunal] review of ASIO assessments. We think that is an absurd idea. National security is paramount and we think that that process would only provide further opportunities for matters to be endlessly appealed in the courts and would very much put at risk the methods and the analysis and the information that ASIO use to make these very important determinations which the majority report made very clear are not made lightly. I don’t think there was any criticism of ASIO about the way they undertake these assessments, they are very sensitive matters, they should remain so in the national interest.

QUESTION:
Was there anything at all that came up in this inquiry, from the stories that were told, that actually made you rethink any element of the Coalition’s position on asylum seekers and immigration detention centres?

MORRISON:
Well as I said I’ve visited asylum seekers and refugees here, I’ve visited them overseas, I’ve met them and heard their stories. I’ve heard them before I went into this inquiry. Those stories I heard again in the course of this inquiry. And it just reinforced to me again why it is so important that if you’re going to have a program with integrity, you’ve got to have a strong border protection regime that sits at the heart of it. I mean, one of the points we make in our dissenting report is to highlight the impact on the Offshore Settlement Program. We announced just a few weeks ago that it would be Coalition policy to quarantine 11,000 out of the 13,750 places for those who are making applications offshore. Those places have been significantly reduced as a result of the policies of this government to less than 9,000. We said we would guarantee 1,000 places for Women At Risk. The Richmond report, which is referred to in our report, noted very clearly that there are impacts on the broader services program being delivered to refugees who we are resettling, both in terms of the cohort that were coming through from the IMAs as well as the competition for scarce resources in the community; for housing and other services that the community release policy are presenting. So Australia’s a generous country, we want to continue to resettle refugees in this country as we have for decades and been a world leader. But you can’t do that when you’ve got a program that is not being run by your own government, that is being run by people smugglers and that is allowing the system to descend into the sort of chaos they allowed it to descend into which we saw at Christmas Island and Villawood in particular.

QUESTION:
How does the Coalition move forward from here in trying to shape asylum seeker policy and immigration detention issues from opposition when it is clear that you obviously disagree with so many of the recommendations of this report. Where do we go from here?

MORRISON:
Well we agree with 16 of the 31 recommendations so I don’t – wouldn’t characterise that – it’s actually more than half so I suppose the premise of your question is dismissed.

QUESTION:
There is some common ground but not all common ground. By a large amount it’s not common ground.

MORRISON:
Well there is a big difference between the government and the Coalition when it comes to border protection. That difference isn’t just about our record of success versus the government’s record of failure, it’s about how we believe these matters should be dealt with and the consistency of our position. Now there’s a lot of difference between the Greens and the Coalition, the government agrees with the Greens now – they haven’t always but now they do. The difference really is one of consistency and a haphazard approach of the government and that’s for the government to explain. How do we shape our policy? We base it on our success in government, on our resolve, on our consistency and that’s why the Australian people trust us on this issue and overwhelmingly do not trust the government. Thank you.

END

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Ben Fordham

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Ben Fordham

Friday 30th March 2012

SUBJECTS: Coalition’s Dissenting Report on the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Immigration Detention Network

E and OE

FORDHAM:
A new report into Australia’s detention centres has recommended people should be held in detention for no more than 90 days. Let’s go now to Scott Morrison, Shadow Minister for Immigration. G’day Scott.

MORRISON:
G’day.

FORDHAM:
This just came out in the last hour. What do you think of the 90 day recommendation?

MORRISON:
Well we think the report really misses the whole point and that is at the end of the day, it’s a bit like talking about a flood and not mentioning the rain. The reason the detention network collapsed, which is what this inquiry was supposed to be about – the riots on Christmas Island a year ago, at Villawood, that shocked and appalled the nation – the reason that happened is too many people turned up on too many boats. It crammed the detention network, the government failed to respond properly and it all went up in flames. Now the way you avoid that happening again is having a strong border protection regime, which had resulted in just four people being in detention when we left office.

FORDHAM:
OK, there’s also a need to deal with the reality of the situation we find ourselves in right now. The report from this Joint Parliamentary Inquiry has suggested that more needs to be done to tackle the mental health crisis inside detention centres and one of the things they are recommending is this 90 day limit – do you support it or not?

MORRISON:
No, what we support Ben is that people remain in detention until their refugee status is determined – until we find out whether they’re a refugee or not. Now where people are vulnerable, and they are determined to be vulnerable, then we have always supported those individuals being released into the community. That’s the policy we introduced back in 2005 and we stand by that. But what the Government has done is embraced the Greens position of ‘let them in and let them out’ and we don’t support that.

FORDHAM:
Ok. 86% of asylums seekers have depression or depression-related symptoms. No real surprise there.

MORRISON:
Well no that’s been the case for a long time and one of the reasons why people have been in detention so long is because in April 2010, the Government introduced a six month asylum freeze. That’s one of the findings that we highlighted in our report, which showed that that decision – the decision not to expand the detention network before the 2010 election where they basically sat on their hands and did nothing, they all said ‘We’re not going to expand detention network before the election’, ‘we’re not going to embrace the Greens policies of let them in, let them out’. Well what happened after the election? They expanded the detention network at a cost of several hundred million dollars and they ended up just capitulating to the Greens.

FORDHAM:
If you had a limit of 90 days in detention, if that was policy, surely that would increase the attractiveness of coming to Australia?

MORRISON:
Well we were achieving those marks Ben when we were in government, when there were no boats coming. So you can achieve 90 days if you don’t have 6,500 people in the detention network and you’ve put at least 1,000 of them into a freeze. So the 90 day mark can be achieved but it can’t be achieved when you have this mess on border protection and that’s why I made the point I did at the outset and that is the reality at the end of the day. I mean, four people versus 6,500 when they set the place alight at Christmas Island.

FORDHAM:
Scott Morrison, thank you.

MORRISON:
Thanks Ben.

FORDHAM:
Shadow Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, on the line.

Ends

Media Release : More boat arrivals met with more abuse, excuses and policy envy from Labor

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The illegal arrival of another boat carrying 50 passengers and two crew has been met with more abuse, excuses and policy envy from Labor on their border protection failures, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“This is the seventeenth boat to arrive this year, and the thirtieth carrying more than 2,400 people in the four months since Labor announced their ‘let them in, let them out’ policy of community release and bridging visas adopted from the Greens last year,” Mr Morrison said.

“Only this week Senator Carr effectively accused anyone who was concerned about Labor’s border protection failures as being racists. Labor’s true feelings on these matters always find them out.

“Then there is Minister Bowen’s hapless attempt to blame Tony Abbott and the Coalition for his own Government’s failures. Blaming the Opposition is not a policy response, it is just a lame excuse for a Government that would rather cling to failure than restore the Coalition’s policies that worked.

“Julia Gillard and Chris Bowen have a serious case of policy envy on border protection.

“Not content with having no effective policy of their own, they don’t want anyone else to have one either.

“That is why the Prime Minister and Minister work so hard to trash the Coalition’s proven measures that they abolished, that created this mess in the first place,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “With the arrival of yet another illegal boat, it is clear that Labor’s severe budgetary cuts to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service have once again aided the people smugglers in their lucrative criminal business and placed further strain on our under-resourced and overworked Customs officers.

“As a result of Labor’s mismanagement, Customs have to redirect their funding and resources towards the crisis at our borders, meanwhile air cargo inspections have dropped from 60% under the Howard Government to a frightening 8.3% today, which is allowing illegal weapons and drugs onto our streets.

“The Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare needs to stop with all this unproductive finger pointing and start to actually take some responsibility for the worsening situation at our borders. The Minister can start by immediately reinstating the $60 million cut from the Customs budget,” he said.

“Denying responsibility for their actions has become an all too familiar reality for this incompetent Labor Government and the Australian people are getting mighty sick of listening to their excuses,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Meeting with Ten was constructive and put local concerns on record, says Morrison

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison said today’s meeting with Channel Ten executives, including CEO James Warburton, was constructive and enabled community concerns over Channel Ten’s proposed reality TV programme to be filmed in the Sutherland Shire to be put on record.

“The meeting today was constructive and provided a good opportunity to raise community concerns and for Channel Ten to explain the true nature of the program they are proposing to put to air,” Mr Morrison said.

“I thank Mr Warburton and his colleagues for agreeing to my invitation to meet today and the opportunity to sit down and discuss these issues with them, together with my state parliamentary colleague Mark Speakman and the Sutherland Shire Mayor.

“Consent and approvals for filming and other activities associated with the production are matters for Council, private businesses and individuals.

“As a federal member of Parliament, my primary focus is on Channel Ten’s responsibilities as a licensed broadcaster and their compliance with the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice.

“The Code requires, amongst many other things, that a program does not provoke or perpetuate intense dislike against a person or group.

“Channel Ten executives were very clear today that they were not seeking to put to air the type of programme that was depicted in the recently circulated unauthorised video footage. The ultimate test will be in what Ten broadcasts.

“Whether the production complies with the Code and whether the Code requires any enhancements to ensure residents of any part of Australia, not just the Sutherland Shire, are protected from unfair characterisation will be assessed on what Ten puts to air.

“The Shire is a great place to live and raise a family. Our community is hardworking, generous and appreciative of the wonderful lifestyle and opportunities that we have, living in this great part of Sydney, in the greatest country on earth,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Morrison welcomes meeting with Network Ten CEO to discuss community concerns

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison has welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive of Network Ten, James Warburton, to discuss community concerns with a program the network is intending to broadcast, filmed in the Sutherland Shire.

“I am pleased Mr Warburton has agreed to meet with me in good faith to discuss the Shire community's concerns with the program, following our conversation earlier today,” Mr Morrison said.

“This process has gotten off to a very bad start. It is time we hit the reset button and sit down together to discuss the community's concerns and to get a better understanding of what Channel Ten are proposing, and how community concerns can be allayed.

“I'm sure that as a responsible broadcaster Channel Ten would not want to air programming that would malign residents and viewers in any community in Sydney, not just the Sutherland Shire.

“Citizens should not be subject in this country to stereotyping or vilification because of what they believe, their ethnicity, where they were born or where they live. This is an important liberty that I am sure any licensed national broadcaster would be keen to honour and respect in their programming.

“The Shire is a rich, diverse and hard working community whose people have a passion for family, community service, sport and who cherish their lifestyle.

“The Shire is great place to live and raise a family and it is my privilege and duty to do all I can to ensure it stays this way and to enhance and protect the reputation of our community,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Opinion Piece - Customs failure is a smoking gun for Labor

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The guns on our streets, the guns being traded, the guns that form this black market have got into Australia through pretty porous borders.

That is what then-premier Bob Carr told a Sydney radio station almost 10 years ago. So how would Julia Gillard's new Foreign Minister now explain the events of last week, when we learned that up to 220 Glock pistols crossed our borders? It will be especially difficult given that Labor's cuts to the Customs budget has seen air cargo screening reduced by 75 per cent.

Andrew Scipione, Australia's most respected policeman, said of the Sylvania Waters smuggling ring: "This isn't just a border security issue, it's a national security issue."

The Coalition believes that the discovery of this gaping hole on our borders demands a specific and independent inquiry into Customs and Australia Post. We need to know what happened, why it happened, what our current exposure is and what must be done to plug this hole.

Customs did not know they were "on fire" on this issue until the NSW Police "turned up with a hose". And it has not raised an eyebrow in federal government.

All the government has sought to do is congratulate themselves.

They are refusing to ask themselves the hard questions about the resourcing and processes of their own agencies and the impact of budget cuts.

The inquiry must specifically seek to establish accountability for the failures identified.

This episode is just another reason why Australians have rightly concluded that Labor cannot be trusted to protect our borders. If you cannot trust Labor to stop the boats, then it is no surprise that we cannot trust them to stop the guns either.

This opinion piece was originally published in the Daily Telegraph where it can be viewed here

Speech : Vale Frank Jordan

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Vale Frank Jordan

Wednesday 21st March 2012

I rise to pay tribute to the life of Frank Jordan, vice patron and life member of the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club, Olympian at the Helsinki games, founding father of the Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club, dedicated teacher and mentor, loving husband to Shirley for almost 57 years, devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather to Robyn, Jenny, David and their families and a great mate and friend to all those who had the pleasure and privilege to know him.

Last Friday I joined with our community at the Woronora cemetery to pay tribute to Frank. Frank grew up in Bankstown, less than a mile away from the local pool. His swimming journey took him to Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club, where he gained his Bronze Medallion in 1951, and to a culture he would know, enjoy and nurture for the rest of his life.

Frank's competitive achievements in the surf were the forerunner to decades of service as a coach and a mentor, enabling hundreds of young shire athletes to realise their potential and learn some important life lessons from Frank along the way. In 1964, Frank convened a meeting at Cronulla to form what is now the Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club, which has produced Olympians and champions from Andrew Kerr to Alicia McCormack.

To paraphrase the president of the Cronulla surf club, Greg Holland, who joins me here today, Frank Jordan swam a good race with honesty, integrity and authenticity. His life was one of vigilance and service in the great tradition of Australian surf lifesaving. To Shirley and all her family, I express my sympathies and condolences but most of all the thanks of a grateful shire community for Frank's faithful life of service. You knew him in his greatest role—a great family man. There is no greater achievement for a man than that.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Luke Bona

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Luke Bona

Wednesday 21st March 2012

SUBJECTS: Proposed skilled migration increase for New South Wales, meeting with Network Ten CEO to discuss community concerns over program to be filmed in the Shire

E and OE

BONA:
Premier Barry O’Farrell is opening the door for skilled migrants in a bid to get them to move to NSW. He’s launched a plan to attract “high value” international students and skilled workers to boost the economy. Now modern Australia is a country built by migrants and I think the idea should be welcome. But if the Premier wants to open the door, doesn’t he need to commit to building and improving infrastructure to support the population growth? Look at how clogged Sydney’s roads are at the moment. I’ve got Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on the line with his opinion. Scott, do we have the infrastructure here in Sydney to bring in these skilled migrants? I’m not against bringing in skilled migrants but you’ve got to fill the place with infrastructure, haven’t you? Good afternoon.

MORRISON:
G’day Luke and it’s good to be with you. Look you’ve got to do both. The two do go hand in hand and I very much believe that is what Barry’s plan and intention is. One of the problems we had with Bob Carr is he said Sydney’s full but the people kept turning up so he stopped building infrastructure, he had no control over immigration policy and Sydney ground to a halt. The whole lesson of the population disaster we’ve had over the last few years is that the infrastructure, particularly in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne, was not getting built. Now these things go together. I think Barry’s idea particularly for the business skilled visa is a very smart one. That’s about trying to bring in people who are going to invest serious money in our state and in our country. Now there are only about 7,500 nationally who come in under that program in any given year and so I mean these are the people who really do spend and invest and create jobs and tax revenue that can pay for all this infrastructure and that seems to me to be where his key focus is and I think that’s welcome.

BONA:
Well it’s a fairly big percentage he’s after – there’s talk today that there’s going to be pressure put on the federal government to try and increase the NSW share of state-government sponsored visas from 11% to a whopping 30%.

MORRISON:
Well I’d be surprised if that actually happened in that there is also significant calls on the migration program in Western Australia and Queensland particularly at the moment but regardless of what percentage you end up with , I think the idea of having a focus on skilled migration in your program is very much the right way to go because the reason immigration’s worked in Australia and why it hasn’t worked in many other places is because we have a program where predominantly people come, have skills, can get a job, pay taxes and that’s how it should work. Your immigration program should be for people who can come and make a contribution predominantly.

BONA:
Correct but you’ve got to have infrastructure there.

MORRISON:
Well you’ve got to have the money to do that. So you can’t run just one of these. You’ve got to go down the path with both. That’s always been my view – as you know, I have not been one of those who wants to see our population growth get out of hand and one of the key reasons for that is I don’t think infrastructure has been able to keep up and that does impact on quality of life but I believe Barry is putting these two things together and his focus, particularly on this business skills program which doesn’t have a high number of people in it but it certainly has a high value in terms of what they bring to the country.

BONA:
Alright, now listen - there’s something else we’ve got to talk to you about. We’ve only got sixty seconds – I know you’re the Federal Member for Cook.

MORRISON:
Yes.

BONA:
And you know Channel Ten are making this television series “The Shire”. The Mayor of Cronulla isn’t happy, apparently it’s all about boobs and booze and giving the Shire a very bad name. What are your thoughts – would you be happy to talk to Channel Ten about this?

MORRISON:
Well I’m more than happy to talk to them, I spoke to the CEO James Warburton today and we’ve agreed to meet in the next few days as well. I think there’s a lot of stuff going round about this and I think we have to get a clearer idea about what actually Channel Ten are proposing. I think the producers have put around a bit of hype but I think, you know, Channel Ten are a licensed broadcaster in this country, they have particular responsibilities and I’m sure they’d agree -

BONA:
Do you remember Sylvania Waters?

MORRISON:
Well I do remember it, it started the whole reality television –

BONA:
Didn’t it!

MORRISON:
- genre right around the world and look, it’s important that wherever you live in our wonderful city, whatever ethnicity you have, whatever you believe, you shouldn’t be subject to vilification because of that. I’m proud to live in the Shire, I’m proud to be representing the Shire, it is a fantastic community that has delivered great Australians from all walks of life and we should celebrate that.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - Canberra Doorstop

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Canberra Doorstop

Wednesday 21st March 2012

SUBJECTS: Proposed skilled migration increase for New South Wales, Coalition’s calls for an independent inquiry into Labor’s border protection failure on guns

EandOE

MORRISON:
I just want to make a brief comment this morning about what I think are some very sound suggestions that are coming from the NSW government this morning from Premier Barry O’Farrell and the Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner regarding skilled migration into Sydney. It’s absolutely critical obviously that any boost that you have to population is always matched by an increase in services and infrastructure to meet that demand but I think the suggestions that’ve been made today, particularly in the area of business skilled visas, are very good ideas. Where there are people who want to come to this country and invest, and invest in jobs, and invest in its growth, and invest in its prosperity, then I think we should be doing everything we can to try and ensure that they get a place.

These are the sort of suggestions that are being put forward by the NSW government and I would certainly hope that the government here in Canberra would consider them, the Coalition certainly will be looking upon them favourably and I commend the Premier for his initiative to try and introduce some much needed reform. The question for the government will be – will they be intimidated, particularly on the temporary migration issue, by the unions to prevent that sort of change but that’s really a matter for the government.

The Premier is trying to address something that his predecessor a few times removed, who is now in the Senate, failed to do. You can’t have a population policy if you don’t have an infrastructure policy as well and that’s what the failure of the previous state government was and I think that Premier O’Farrell is really trying to address that and good on him for doing so.

QUESTION:
What do you make of Clive Palmer’s comments?

MORRISON:
Well they’re matters for other Shadow Ministers who have already been out here so I’ll leave that to them.

JOURNALIST:
You’re a member of the party though and he is a substantial donor?

MORRISON:
As I said, I’ll leave that to my colleagues who have already addressed it.

JOURNALIST:
But the money that he donates does contribute to -

MORRISON:
You can ask the question about seven times if you like, David, and that’s my answer.

QUESTION:
Do you have any update on the gun inquiry that you introduced into parliament the other day?

MORRISON:
Well the government has rejected an inquiry into what’s happened at the Sylvania Waters post office when up to 220 glock pistols have allegedly been smuggled through that post office. The government won’t look at any questions of the Australian Customs and Border protection service, the fact that their funding cuts have seen the percentage of air cargo items screened fall from over 60% under the Howard government to less than 10 percent under this government and that’s projected to get to less than 5 percent over the forward estimates. There’s no inquiry into Australia Post - they don’t want to know how it happened, what happened. The suggestion that’s come forward from the Minister is nothing more than a smokescreen – that’s a broader inquiry into other issues, it’s not looking specifically at customs, it hasn’t referred this matter to that inquiry in terms of what happened. And you know, that’s what we get from this government – smokescreens. That’s what Bob Carr did for many years when he was in the NSW government and that same practice has come to Canberra.

Ends

Speech : Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2011

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2011

Wednesday 21st March 2012

Mr MORRISON (Cook) (11:50): I am pleased to speak on the Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2011 and cognate Corporations Amendment (Further Future of Financial Advice Measures) Bill 2011. I join with my colleagues in making it very clear that the coalition will not support the bill as it currently stands.

My colleagues have gone into great detail as to the failings of this bill. Before I similarly do so, I think it is important to acknowledge what is really at the heart of these measures that are being put forward by the government.

The government and the Labor movement have always been interested in closed shops. The government have always sought to vilify those who have a difference of view—to vilify them in their statements, to demean in the public view their motives and to basically drive them out of being in any form in competition with their preferred business model.

It is no surprise that the unofficial head of the union movement, the current minister responsible for industrial relations, decided—I suspect demanded—that he retain responsibility in his portfolio for these matters. There is an absolute, unequivocal linked agenda in the union motives of the Labor Party between superannuation and industrial relations more generally.

This is an industrial issue for the union movement, being led by their key industrial advocate in this place, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. This minister is pursuing the unions' agenda not only in his own portfolio of workplace relations but also in this matter, as he did previously when he was Assistant Treasurer.

The coalition has always seen through the government's motives. We have always seen what they are up to and I think the Australian public is also seeing this. What we are standing for here are some basic principles of choice, some basic issues of transparency and a lack of complexity which will enable Australians to make good choices and decisions about where they want to put their money for their retirement.

We want to enable them to have the support and advice to do that in a way that helps them make those decisions, not to have the government impose those decisions on them by default and without any other alternative. Whether it is the government's decision to try to channel more money into industry funds, forcing businesses to pay for additional superannuation by increasing the levy or whether it is at the other end by narrowing the funnel to ensure that all of those moneys flow into union dominated funds, that is the agenda of this government. We need to bring that under the spotlight, it needs to be exposed and people need to know what the agenda is.

The package of future of financial advice bills before us today is yet another example of Labor's corner-cutting and heavy-handed regulation. The coalition will not support these bills in their current form. This legislation could be substantially improved if the government were to accept the coalition's amendments and were willing to listen.

As the bills stand before us today the package is unnecessarily complicated and convoluted. At best, these bills are obstructive and unhelpful. At worst, they threaten jobs, businesses and consumer choice. The regulatory burden they seek to impose will not afford greater protection. All this legislation will do is tie businesses and consumers up in red tape, strangling competition and choice while driving up costs.

It will upend the level playing field our financial advisers have previously had, tipping the balance in favour of a 'government friendly business model', the union model. Financial advisers help hardworking people to better calculate and manage the risks they encounter and maximise their opportunities to provide for their own retirement. Advisers also play a very important role—as a business in my electorate has stressed to me—in helping the vulnerable, including the elderly and the ill, to make sound financial decisions.

I received a letter from a gentleman who lives in Sylvania Waters and works as a financial planner. He writes that 'our industry is based on trust and relationships—the trust is earned and then a relationship builds'. He makes the point that financial planners go above and beyond the call of duty to provide quality service and support to their customers, often investing additional hours of work that are not clocked. This is a fundamental issue that I think the government overlook. They overlook the bond of trust and the relationship and also the service that flows from that trust to the consumer. This is a value added service. It has a real value, it is valued in particular by those who demand it in their most significant time of need.

The financial advisers I know turn up for their clients and go above and beyond the call of duty, above considering any payment they may have ever received, to honour the commitment and trust they have formed in that very special relationship. That trust is tested at the most difficult and strenuous time in their clients' lives, whether it is through the loss of a lifetime partner, whether it is through some horrific event that has caused that loss or whether it is a debilitating and tragic illness or something of this nature. At your weakest time you need to rely on someone to look after you and your interests and to ensure that what you have invested in will be delivered to you. Your advocate in that case is not some backroom bureaucrat whom you do not know—thankfully, if you have a relationship such as this—but is the financial adviser who has advised you, supported you and counselled you in a decision and is there to turn up to be your advocate when things are really required.

I note the member for Forde at the table. He has done this in his professional life before coming to this place. I am sure the member for Forde could list any number of people—hundreds of people, if not more than that—with whom he had been able to establish that bond of trust. I know that is the same bond of trust that the member for Forde now has with his electors and constituents because he understands the issue of trust and I commend him for it.

One of the clients of the man from Sylvania Waters who wrote to me is a lady with advanced multiple sclerosis. She is fiercely independent and still lives on her own but has to budget carefully to meet the costs of medicines that are not covered in her treatment. Shrewd economic management is very important to enable this lady to maintain her independence. My constituent's financial advice assists her greatly in that capacity. He told me:

… the product will pay us—she can't afford to. We will be paid about $800. Currently I have spent six hours on this job and it will probably get to ten by the time I am finished—my accountant would charge $3000 for this job.

Of course, in these matters there are fundamental elements of trust involved. Advisers are paid to handle the hard-earned pennies of others and there must be transparency and accountability in all aspects of these processes. And it is critical that the industry continues to operate with a regulatory framework that is robust and accountable. But it is crucial that above all a level playing field is maintained for big and small businesses alike and for industry super funds and banks to ensure that competition can thrive, these important services can remain affordable and consumers can retain that all-important choice as to who they entrust with their money. I do not want to see the situation where someone who does not have the means to pay big fees upfront, to get the sort of advice they have been able to access for years, denied that opportunity because of the passage of this bill but I believe that will be the result.

The bill before us today pretends to give consumers further protections by requiring advisers to act always in the best interests of their clients. Yet it falls short of achieving that very outcome. It is just another smokescreen for this government to cover yet another union agenda. Excessive red tape will only stifle business, driving up costs for operators, which will inevitably be passed on to customers. My constituent fears:

FOFA reform is going to sanitise our great industry. Australians are already under insured and FOFA in its current form will worsen that position and make the ever increasing social security burden even greater—
while at the same time, I note, driving up the value of the funds controlled by the unions.

Another financial adviser in the shire agrees that without amendment:

FOFA will cause financial ruin to many advisers—
and individual Australians—

who have helped Australia survive to this point in tough global economic times, through their knowledge, skill and experience advising their clients to act rationally and not impetuously as the current Government has acted—
in the way it has spent taxpayers' dollars.

The dual goals of FOFA should be to improve transparency and improve access to advice for all. The bill before us will not achieve either. In 2009, the Ripoll inquiry was conducted in the wake of the collapse of Storm Financial, Westpoint and Trio to identify ways that risks could be better managed. At the heart of the Ripoll inquiry was the recommendation that a fiduciary duty be introduced to require advisers to place the interests of the client ahead of their own.

However, the committee also noted that situations:

… where investors lose their entire savings because of poor financial advice are more often a problem of enforcing existing regulations, rather than being due to regulatory inadequacy.

The report sketched out a comprehensive blueprint to enhance our financial services and the frameworks that govern them, a plan the government could have adopted with bipartisan support. But, instead, decisions on important reforms have been delayed by more than two years and hijacked by the union dominated industry super funds. My constituent complained that the FOFA consultation process has been influenced by 'powerful institutions who only worry about this year's profit and their bonus'.

The government has held off on sensible reform to bluster on with contentious changes like the Industry Super Network opt-in proposal. This treading water has only produced profound confusion, uncertainty and upheaval for our financial services. At the end of two years in the wilderness, the government has presented a cobbled together package that manages to be both unnecessarily complex and vague.

Evidence before the parliamentary joint committee inquiry into FOFA has confirmed the legislation in its current form will be detrimental to consumers, devastating for financial advisers and damaging for the industry. The government's explanatory memorandum to the bill itself admits FOFA will drive the loss of almost 7,000 financial adviser jobs. There will be reduced choice, reduced competition and reduced diversity across the sector. I suppose they are the objectives that the government are seeking to meet—and it would seem they are right on track. Industry estimates suggest that FOFA has a price tag of $700 million to implement, plus $350 million per year for compliance. Worryingly, the government's own Office of Best Practice Regulation has given evidence before Senate estimates that the government has failed to properly assess the impact of the bills. Jason McNamara said the regulatory impact statements did not contain enough information about the potential impact and cost for the government to be able to make informed decisions, especially in relation to the opt-in proposal.

The coalition does not believe it is unreasonable that the parliament should insist on a proper impact statement. It is imperative that regulatory changes of this magnitude go through the proper process. If the government is not willing to follow best practice of its own volition, it should be incumbent upon this place to insist upon it. The coalition has no problem supporting sensible and considered reforms that would bolster trust and confidence in our financial services industries. We value initiatives that increase transparency and competition and allow consumers the greatest choice. Unfortunately, these bills do not meet those objectives.

I have met with financial planners in my own electorate of Cook to discuss this matter over the course of the government's process. They are understandably angry at the time it has taken since the Ripoll inquiry to make any headway, and even angrier with the tranches of bills that are before the House today. One said to me:

If passed without amendment, FOFA will adversely affect all Australians and their choice, as is their democratic right to quality advice … and create a monopoly for advice because only the large financial institutions (Banks and Fund Managers) and Industry Union controlled superannuation Funds will be able to afford the cost of compliance and cheap advice.

That is called creating a closed shop on these issues, something the Labor Party and the union movement have had at least a century of experience in doing.

The concerns that advisers in the shire have raised with me centre around four components of these bills, and their fears have been echoed en masse by their colleagues across Australia. I will focus principally on one of them in the time remaining.

The proposal of having to opt in every two years is troubling. There is no other country in the world where a government has sought to impose mandatory requirements on consumers to re-sign their contracts on a regular basis. They say there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. I would argue there is a third under this government, and that is increased compliance and paperwork.

Ask anyone on the street; they will tell you the last thing they need is to have to wade through another mountain of paperwork every two years. We should not be turning small businesspeople into compliance officers for a regulation-hungry federal government. We should not be turning consumers into compliant drones of the Labor Party and their union dominated policies, which want to make their financial choices for them.

That is why these bills should be opposed.

Media Release : Morrison condemns Ten's TV insult to Shire

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison today joined Cronulla MP Mark Speakman and the Sutherland Shire Council in condemning attempts by a proposed reality TV show to denigrate our Shire community.

“I am proud to represent the Shire. We are a strong, hardworking community, with one of the highest volunteer rates in the country,” Mr Morrison said.

“This is a great place to live and raise a family. Residents of our community should not be subjected to this type of crass and cheap abuse by Channel 10,” he said.

“Channel Ten has a responsibility not to vilify its own audience. For Channel Ten to support and broadcast a low grade reality TV show taking cheap shots at our local community would be deeply offensive and simply unacceptable.

“Shire residents are proud to live in the birthplace of modern Australia. Over generations we have built a strong and cohesive community. These honest hardworking families and individuals don’t deserve this type of crass abuse and to be maligned by Channel Ten.

“The Shire punches above our weight whether it’s through our commitment to community service, caring for those less fortunate or on the sporting field. We are a diverse and family friendly community

“I wholeheartedly endorse Sutherland Shire Council’s resolution not to co-operate with this production,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Tribute to His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Tribute to His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

Tuesday 20th March 2012

I rise to join the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship current and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship previous, who spoke before me on this motion. I join him particularly in the sentiments he just expressed about our hope and indeed our prayers for peace tonight as that service [in Egypt for the memorial of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III] proceeds. I rise to express my deep condolence to the Coptic Christian community of Australia and the Coptic faith all around the world as they mourn the loss of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. I am greatly saddened by his death.

His Holiness served as the patriarch to the Coptic Orthodox Church for 41 years, shepherding his people through a time of great upheaval and persecution in Egypt with grace and unwavering faith. The Coptic faithful are the oldest and largest Christian community in the Middle East. His Holiness was the 117th in the line of leaders tracing back to St Mark himself. We extend our deepest condolences to that community and to His Holiness's entire flock from all of our fellow Australians here and to all the faithful over in Egypt and around the world. Tens of thousands of mourners filled St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo to farewell His Holiness. The line stretched for almost a mile, I am told, with people wishing to pay tribute to a great man and a man of God.

When he became Pope in 1971 there were only seven churches outside of Egypt. Three decades on, there are more than 150, including in my electorate, in the Sutherland Shire, at Kirrawee. It is led by Father Tadros, who, together with Bishop Suriel, has been a tremendous advocate for the people of Coptic faith in Australia and those from Egypt in particular. In Australia and New Zealand there are now 28 Coptic churches. I had the great privilege, just the Sunday before his passing, to attend and participate in the worship of the congregation at St Mark's Coptic Church in Arncliffe. This was a wonderful time to be with them and it is so sad that so soon after this same community would have been struck by the grief of the passing of this great man of God.

It was a tremendous community at Arncliffe. There were around 1,000 people there between the two services. While the services themselves were very moving, what was even more moving was the tremendous sense of community amongst those of the Coptic faith in Australia. To see small children, old men and women, mothers and fathers, aunties and uncles and others gathering round a Sunday lunch in the grounds of their church was, by any definition, the true meaning of community. This is the type of faith community that His Holiness has inspired not just in Arncliffe but all around the world and at the many congregations and parishes.

There is much to be thankful for but there is also much to grieve over and, today, as we remember his life and legacy, we remember too in this place the Copts of Egypt and what they currently face. To the faithful in Egypt, as they grieve the loss of their beloved leader, we send our condolences and now more than ever they need our thoughts and our prayers, but most importantly they need our voices to continue to plead their case for justice.

We had all hoped, as the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and others have expressed, that the events of the fall of Mubarak would have led to a new period for the Copts in Egypt and that there would have been a new hope. But, sadly, what they have known is quite different. It is a matter of extraordinary grief and concern to Copts living in Australia as they hear, on a daily basis, stories about their friends and their families.

I want to thank the minister for his efforts in reaching out to the Coptic community in Australia. We have attended many events and on one occasion last spring we were together in Sydney. We know only too deeply the level of pain, emotionally and spiritually, that they are going through as they think of those who are in that place.

Egypt has eight million Copts. The Coptic faithful in Australia number about 100,000. So, as we go into this evening and as they go through the process of mourning and grief, my prayers are with them. I know that they will be sustained in this terrible moment by a great faith that is possessed by them individually and as a community, and a great faith that was demonstrated by their beloved leader Pope Shenouda III over his life and leadership of their great church.

Media Release : Labor runs away from Sylvania Waters guns inquiry

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Labor resorted to grubby tricks in parliament today to avoid setting up an independent inquiry into their border protection failures, which saw up to 220 guns allegedly smuggled into Sydney for criminal gangs through the Sylvania Waters post office in the electorate of Cook, Federal Member for Cook and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione called this alleged smuggling operation ‘perhaps the biggest illegal syndicate doing this type of illegal gun trafficking that Australia has seen’, yet today the Labor Government wouldn’t even countenance talk about it.

Despite being defeated twice in the parliament today, Labor used grubby stalling tactics to run down the clock and prevent an inquiry even being considered.

All the Government has sought to do since this gaping hole in our borders was discovered by NSW Police has been to congratulate themselves.

Despite their false claims, the Government have refused to refer this incident to a specific inquiry into Customs or Australia Post. Instead they have tried to spin this issue away with excuses, denials and delaying tactics to avoid any accountability for what has occurred on their watch.

They are refusing to ask themselves the hard questions about the resourcing and processes of their own agencies, that have been undermined by the Government's budget cuts.

The Australian people, particularly residents in western Sydney who are exposed to gun crime and our police officers who are on the front line of the battle against organised crime, deserve better than the spin and denial that is reminiscent of the failed Carr Government in NSW.

This episode demonstrates once again that Bob Carr has come to Canberra in more ways than the obvious.

Just as they're in denial on illegal boat arrivals, Labor has failed to control our borders and won’t admit they even have a problem.

Customs did not know they were ‘on fire’ on this issue until the NSW Police ‘turned up with a hose’. Any government that was serious about border protection would want to know why and how our border protection system failed and what must be done to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

It is disgraceful that this Labor Government has voted against the motion to have an independent inquiry into the severe gaps in Australia’s border protection regime.

How can the Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare continually deny that the $58.1 million in funding that Labor stripped from air and sea cargo screening has not contributed to illegal weapons being smuggled across our border and into our communities?

Air cargo inspections have dropped from 60% under the former Howard Government to a dismal 8.3% under this Labor Government. With these kinds of drastic cuts to cargo screening, illicit drugs and weapons are flowing through with ease onto our streets and into the hands of organised criminal syndicates.

The Government should do the right thing by the Australian people and urgently call for an independent inquiry and reinstate the cuts to Customs cargo screening immediately.

Media Release : Transcript - 2GB Alan Jones

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Subjects: Coalition calls for an independent inquiry into Labor’s border protection failure on guns, illegal boat arrivals

EandOE

JONES:
Yesterday Scott Morrison, the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, along with the Shadow Minister for Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan, called for an independent inquiry into the failure of Federal border protection. Sylvania Waters is in Scott Morrison’s electorate of Cook. Scott Morrison is on the line. Scott Morrison, good morning.

MORRISON:
Good morning Alan.

JONES:
If this is not a national issue, what is?

MORRISON:
Well that’s right and that’s exactly what Commissioner Scipione said when he announced the results of this investigation last week. What NSW Police found was a gaping hole in our borders on guns and those guns found their way into my electorate in the Shire in southern Sydney and Alan you make the point about the cuts in border protection – when we left office, we were inspecting 6.2 million air cargo consignments. That figure today under this government is 1.5. And at the same time, there was only around about 10 million air cargo consignments coming in at that time. Now, that figure is over 15 million and growing. So as a percentage of the air cargo consignments coming in, the percentage getting looked at is getting smaller and smaller because this government is spending, as you said, billions of dollars on border blowouts on boats and that figure is now $3.9 billion over the last three years.

JONES:
Just on the boats before we go any further – there’s a manifestation of the porous nature of our borders now under this government, I was just looking at some figures last night. In the end of the Howard regime, in 2005, there were four boats, 11 people. 6 boats in 2005. Five boats and then now where are we up to? We’re up to what?

MORRISON:
288.

JONES:
288 boats.

MORRISON:
That’s right and we’ve had 16 since the start of this year and we’ve had the biggest summer of boats on record under this government. 2,100 people turned up over the summer and it’s no surprise they turned up right after the government announced their community release – let them in, let them out – policy which as we all know, as it was costing the taxpayer significantly but also is sending a massive invitation for people to get on boats.

JONES:
Well just as they know – they know – they’re smart, these people smugglers know what the government is on about. That they’ve softened up. So too the criminals. They know it’s very, very easy – surveillance has been reduced so the manifestations of this are out there and I know people listening to this program in Sydney will wonder what the hell’s going on when you hear of 88 drive by shootings in Sydney – now they know where the guns are coming from.

MORRISON:
Well it was almost a decade ago Bob Carr said the guns on our streets came through our porous borders. Now I wonder what Senator Carr now thinks about those. I mean, this government is crawling with ex-Carr government staffers now sitting in Ministerial chairs and we’re seeing the same sort of spin, the same sort of denial and the same sort of smoke screens going up. I called for this inquiry yesterday and I’m calling for a specific Inquiry into Customs and Australia Post in terms of what happened allegedly through the Sylvania Waters Post Office.

JONES:
Well let’s go into some detail about that because Customs – I mean this is the awful issue too – didn’t seem to know about this until the NSW police did their work for them.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right – they didn’t know they were on fire on this Alan until the police turned up with a hose basically and they were found completely flat-footed. Now that is what requires investigation – the Australian Crime Commission should investigate the criminals as they are doing but we need a specific investigation into this specific incident,

JONES:
So basically you’re saying what happened at Sylvania Waters? What’s happening elsewhere? I mean this is one post office. There’s 4,500 of them.

MORRISON:
That’s right and who knows what’s happening there and who knows what’s happening in other states and territories? But we’ve got to wait for the police to turn up and tell Customs what’s happening in those states as well. Now the Minister is refusing to have this inquiry – he says there’s something already going on with the Australian Crime Commission. Now that investigation I think is far broader and doesn’t deal specifically with this issue at Sylvania Waters. I mean, when we had the Villawood riots, when we had the Christmas Island riots, the government called and had an Independent Inquiry into those matters. And when we had Villawood, they extended that original inquiry. This matter at Sylvania Waters hasn’t been –

JONES:
But they don’t want to know the truth. They don’t want to know – because you’re asking for an inquiry to establish the inadequacy of the resources, the inadequacy of the current practices, a current culture of Customs and Border Protection services – are people turning a blind eye to this?

MORRISON:
Well this is what we need to know. By all means investigate the criminals but this government doesn’t want to look at their own failings and what happened on their watch. Alan if 220 people – because we’re talking about up to 220 Glock-pistols that found their way into my electorate and onto the streets of Sydney. If 220 people turned up as asylum seekers on a boat in Sydney harbour and started walking up Pitt Street, I bet you there’d be an independent inquiry. But we’ve got 220 guns now on our streets – sorry I correct that. 219 – one has been found. And this demands the Parliament today backing an independent inquiry.

JONES:
If not, what’s the Parliament for?

MORRISON:
That’s right. I’m not saying it should be a parliamentary inquiry. I’m saying it should be an independent inquiry done by someone of the stature of Mick Keelty who can get behind the curtain on this and have a good look. Now if I was the Minister Alan and this happened on my watch I would want to know what happened. I would want to know what the failings in processes, resources and systems in my agencies were.

JONES:
But common sense would tell you if they cut – that’s what they don’t want an inquiry because the bone will be pointed at the government. If they have cut air cargo screening by 74% common sense will tell you the criminals will know about that before the government wakes up.

MORRISON:
Well that is right and that’s why they don’t want to have an inquiry and the Post Office issue is just as serious. As you say, 4,500 of these agencies just like that little post office down in my electorate in Sylvania Waters and I think Sydneysiders have a right to be concerned.

JONES:
I agree with you. I mean what do we know about intelligence gathering? What do we know about the investigative capacities of Customs? I mean it is clear they have failed and this is potentially damaging the well being and safety of people in Australian walks of life.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right and since Andrew Scipioine got up and announced this all the government has done federally has congratulated themselves. Well they were late to the arrangement because they didn’t know anything about it and that is what concerns me and that is why I hope the Minister and the Prime Minister particularly would want to get to the bottom of this. But Bob Carr has come to Canberra in more ways than one down here. The spin and obfuscation we saw under his NSW government is alive and well here in Canberra in Julia Gillard and her Ministers.

JONES:
4,500 post offices in the country, average ordinary Australians going in and out of these every day. What kind of security checks are in place? What are the procedures? What is the capacity of Australia Post to identify and investigate any irregular activity? In the light of this incident – none.

MORRISON:
Well that’s exactly right and those are the kind of questions we want answered through this independent inquiry which we will try and put to the Parliament today which I suspect the government will once again reject because they will want to put their head in the sand. I have seen this pattern of denial form this government on border protection before Alan. I remember years ago I stood up and said the crisis on our borders is going to lead to some tragic outcomes in this country. Everyone thought I was being hysterical except the people I am talking to right now on the radio. As a result these things came to pass. We have been the canary down the mine on border protection from this government for years. The government remains in denial.

JONES:
It is only when you are sick of saying it that people start to understand it. 220 Glock pistols in one instance illegally imported from Germany. Surely a responsible national government would want to know how this could happen?

MORRISON:
Exactly and not just the criminal aspects of this but what happened in Customs.

JONES:
The systems.

MORRISON:
What happened in the systems that they are responsible for? One of the reasons I am so fired up about this is that the people who will often be at the wrong end of these guns will be our police. They are the ones who face danger every single day and this is why we need this inquiry. I do not want to see those guns pointed at police in NSW, QLD, Victoria or anywhere else and I don’t want to see innocent bystanders become the victims of these shootings as well and no one does.

JONES:
Well we ought to know what risk management strategies are in place and I make that point again – is there a culture at work here that just in Customs and Border Protection, that turns a blind eye?

MORRISON:
Is it a paper box ticking exercise and what is going on with all of that. They are the very reasonable and I think sensible questions that need to be put, the government doesn’t want them because they don’t like the answers. They want to hold up something shiny and say look over here and try and move on like Bob Carr always used to do in NSW. Well it shouldn’t happen here, it shouldn’t happen in our national Parliament. It’s a national disgrace and needs a specific and independent inquiry to get to the bottom of it.

JONES:
There is an outfit called the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. What the hell do they do? If this isn’t law enforcement integrity then what is?

MORRISON:
Well they are the Police Integrity Commission equivalent at a federal level and I think it is very important that if it is former Commissioner Keelty or whoever else of that standing who would undertake this inquiry would need to have access to what investigation or other matters are currently with them and that should extend also to the Australian Crime Commission and other federal agencies.

JONES:
But common sense would tell you that if it is happening at Sylvania Waters post office, it is not on its own and not an isolated instance. It is just that it is happening elsewhere and is undetected.

MORRISON:
It is exactly right and that’s why we need to find out what the systems failures were here on this government’s watch which they refused to do. They want to fob this off by not addressing it through a specific inquiry and I think that tells you all we need to know about the government’s raw nerve on border protection.

JONES:
And the other thing is are the penalties now for importation of these weapons adequate? Are the penalties for distribution adequate? We need an inquiry to establish an answer to that question.

MORRISON:
I understand the penalties for distributing and possessing these weapons is double that it is to import them in federal laws. These are the things that can be tidied up and looked at in an inquiry. It should be a practical inquiry. The results should be tabled before the Parliament when it is finished. We just simply want this government to do its job and when they get it wrong we want them to own up to it, have an honest inquiry into it and not try and cover it over.

JONES:
Do you think the public out there just get absolute fatigue at this incompetence out there? The number of arrivals just since Julia Gillard became Prime Minister in boats – 147 boats and nearly 10,000 people. The people listening to you are funding that.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right and you will remember when Julia Gillard took over she said she was going to smash the people smugglers business network. Well the only one that has been smashed is her own government which has been one of complete incompetence. The people smugglers model is thriving. They are making tens of millions of dollars under this Prime Minister and the only thing that is going to change that – as I am sure all your listeners know - is if there is a change of government. Because this government wont be changing anything and the people smugglers know what the Coalition would do in government under Tony Abbott and they do not want to see that happen.

JONES:
That’s it and the gun smugglers have the same approach as the people smugglers.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right. I think Australians know the Coalition can be trusted on these issues. They know it because they have seen it with their own eyes, they have seen it through the experience of this government that when it comes to border security just aren’t up to the task.

JONES:
Good to talk to you and thank you for your time.

MORRISON:
Thank you very much Alan.

END

Speech : Motion to suspend standing orders - independent inquiry into Labor's border failure on guns

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Motion to suspend standing orders - independent inquiry into Labor's border failure on guns

Monday 19th March 2012

Mr MORRISON: I move:
That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Cook from moving the following motion forthwith— That the Prime Minister immediately commission an independent inquiry into the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and Australia Post regarding the findings of the New South Wales police investigation where up to 220 Glock pistols had been allegedly illegally imported to Australia through the Sylvania Waters post office and that the inquiry investigate, report and make recommendations in relation to this specific incident and any related incidents including:

(1) how, when and why these weapon components were able to be allegedly imported into Australia and evade the detection of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and seek to determine accountability for any failures identified;

(2) the adequacy of systems, resources and practice within the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service for the detection of such items being imported and an overview of systems, resources and practices employed, including the impact of budget cuts to the service as well as any institutional arrangements or organisational cultural factors that may adversely impact on the operations and capacity of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service;

(3) a review and assessment of the risk management strategies employed by the ACBPS to assist the detection of the importation of weapons, including intelligence gathering, analysis, enforcement and investigation capabilities and integration with other border and law enforcement agencies;

(4) the level of exposure within Australia's network of more than 4,400 post office agencies, including adequacy of security checks and procedures, the capacity to monitor compliance and proactively identify and investigate irregular activity;

(5) the appropriateness and consistency of the legal framework and penalty regime for the importation of weapons and related offences in the federal jurisdiction with possession, distribution and related offences in state and territory jurisdictions;

(6) any matters relating to the operation and policies of agencies in other national jurisdictions and cooperation with such agencies and other international agencies or Australia's international relations more broadly; and

(7) an assessment of the current and future level of risk and exposure to weapons importation based on current resources, systems and practices of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and Australia Post.

Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the member for Cook sought to move this suspension of standing orders earlier on today. Is it in order, therefore, for the member for Cook to attempt to suspend standing orders again so soon after he attempted to move a suspension of standing orders earlier in the day?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Murphy): The
earlier attempt was out of order so, for all intents and purposes, this is the first occasion.

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (12:50): Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker. On that basis, I move:
That the member be no longer heard.

Speech : Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012

Monday 19th March 2012

Mr MORRISON (Cook) (11:04): I am not surprised the member for Lyne would come into this place and seek to attack the coalition. He has done that on many occasions and he has shown more loyalty to the Prime Minister than at least 31 of the Prime Minister's own colleagues, including the member who is at the table today.

Ms Hall interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms AE Burke): The member for Shortland will resume her seat. The member for Cook has five minutes and he will be relevant to the bill or I will sit him down. The member for Cook has the call.

Mr MORRISON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was just addressing the previous member's remarks and attacks on the coalition.

In August last year the High Court struck down the government's Malaysian people swap because of the failure of that arrangement to satisfy the human rights protections set out in section 198A of the Migration Act. Rather than seek to create a new and more objective test to ensure that human rights protections were maintained for offshore processing, the government simply sought to abolish them. The coalition rightly rejected this approach. Instead the coalition proposed an amendment after the High Court decision to insert into the act a new, more objective test for human rights protections—that any country to be designated an offshore processing country must be a signatory to the refugee convention.

The coalition's amendment to the government's bill provided a clear, objective and universally recognised standard of protection that does not require judicial interpretation. That was the position we adopted for good reason after the decision of the High Court. The member for Lyne claims that the bill before us, the Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012, incorporates the coalition's amendments to the government's legislation. It simply does not. The coalition only had one amendment to the government's legislation and it is not included in this bill.

The member for Lyne's bill restates the government's bill by repealing section 198A and fails to replace it with a binding human rights protection measure that can be objectively determined, thereby constraining the scope for judicial review, which was a key purpose of our amendment. This is the only objective standard that creates legally binding obligations available to establish the presence of protections. Paragraph 117 of the High Court judgment on the Malaysian people swap makes this position very clear.

It states:
What is clear is that signatories to the Refugees Convention and the Refugees Protocol are bound to accord to those who have been determined to be refugees the rights that are specified in those instruments including the rights earlier described.

Paragraph 125 also states:
A country "provides access" to effective procedures for assessing the need for protection of persons seeking asylum of the kind described in s 198A(3)(a)(i) … if it is bound, as a matter of international obligation …

The argument that the inclusion of nonrefoulement and orderly assessment provisions in section 198AB accommodates the coalition's amendment completely fails to understand the purpose of our amendment and indeed the High Court decision. This bill explicitly now states in section 198AB(6) that the protections proposed—or assurances, they are termed—are not legally binding. In addition, the selection of the Bali process as the alternative test to the UN refugee convention fails to understand the role and purpose of that forum. We should know; we introduced it. Participation in that forum creates no obligation on participating members, let alone obligations that are legally binding.

The member for Lyne's claim that this bill provides higher humanitarian standards than have ever existed in Australia before is completely false. The fact is that this bill would allow the Malaysian people swap deal to proceed. That is proof enough. However, as noted, the protections the member for Lyne advocates are not legally binding.

Mr Oakeshott interjecting—

Mr MORRISON: This makes them deficient to the provisions currently in the act that he propose to abolish that were established by the coalition and that were used by the High Court to strike down the Malaysian people swap. They are also deficient to the coalition amendment, as the UN refugee convention creates legally binding obligations. There are other problems with this bill, and I will be inviting the minister to make his observations on those.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not think that is up to the member for Cook.

Mr MORRISON: I am sure that he will be equally concerned about the definition of 'party' within this to the Bali process. The definition is ambiguous and it creates further legal opportunities, I think, to create uncertainty around this issue. Secondly, the bill requires the rules of natural justice to apply. That is something the minister himself in his own bill around this matter sought to have removed. Thirdly, the bill establishes the designation of an offshore processing country as a legislative instrument.

Mr Oakeshott: You've flipped!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lyne might be my first throw from the chamber.

Mr MORRISON: That means that that would completely put before the parliament complete discretion to enable the parliament to overturn any decision of an executive government, even if it were to accord with the requirement that it be a signatory to the convention.

This bill is no more than a carbon copy of the government's bill. Its attempt to rebirth the Malaysian people swap is no surprise. The member for Lyne is clearly doing the government's bidding, as always.

Media Release : Coalition calls for independent inquiry into Labor's border failure on guns

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Coalition has called on the Gillard Government to establish an independent inquiry into federal border protection failures revealed in the recent NSW Police investigation into the alleged importation of up to 220 Glock pistols by a criminal syndicate into Australia through the Sylvania Waters Post Office in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, in the federal electorate of Cook.

The call has been made by the local Federal MP for Cook and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and the Shadow Minister for Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan, who will seek to force the Government to initiate the inquiry in Parliament this week.

“The investigation by NSW Police has discovered a gaping hole in our national borders for the importation of illegal guns into Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

“By NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione’s own description, this breach is of record proportions, describing it as ‘perhaps the biggest illegal syndicate doing this type of illegal gun trafficking that Australia has seen’.

“Customs did not know they were ‘on fire’ on this issue until the NSW Police ‘turned up with a hose’ he said.

Mr Keenan said: “This is not the time for the Gillard Government to once again engage in self congratulation and spin this issue away, but to have a good hard look at itself.

"This serious issue demands a serious investigation which the Gillard Government has so far refused to initiate" he said.

“We call on the Prime Minister to establish a full and independent inquiry into what happened at Sylvania Waters and on our borders, why it happened, our current level of exposure and what must be done to ‘plug this hole’”, Mr Morrison and Mr Keenan said.

“The Inquiry should be undertaken by someone with integrity and extensive experience in these issues, such as former federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty.

“The inquiry should address the adequacy of systems, resources, practices, institutional arrangements and the culture of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

“This must include the impact of Labor’s cuts to Customs that has resulted in a 75% reduction in air cargo screening as well as an assessment of the intelligence gathering, analysis capability and resourcing of the agency, its enforcement and investigation capabilities and integration with other border and law enforcement agencies.

“The Inquiry must have access to any matters or investigations being pursued by other agencies including the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and make referrals to that body where required for further investigation.

“Finally, the inquiry must examine the level of exposure within Australia’s network of almost 4,500 post offices including - adequacy of security checks and procedures, the capacity to monitor compliance and proactively identify and investigate irregular activity.

“The Inquiry’s terms of reference must specifically seek to establish accountability for any failures identified. The final report and recommendations should be tabled in the Parliament upon completion and a formal response required to be provided.

“New guns are the weapon of choice for criminal syndicates and gangs that have been wreaking havoc not only on Sydney streets, but in cities and towns across the country.

“The presence of these weapons on our streets poses a serious risk to community safety and most significantly to our police officers serving on the front line.

“Criminal gangs have the means and motive to test our borders and the NSW Police have found our national border controls wanting.

“We don’t need more spin from Labor, we need an honest acknowledgement of what has happened and an honest attempt to put it right. That’s what this Inquiry will achieve,” they said.

*** proposed inquiry terms of reference attached below ***

Media Release : Labor's border protection failures hit the Shire

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Labor’s border protection policy failures have come to the Shire with guns allegedly being smuggled through the Sylvania Waters Post Office, for use by criminal gangs in Sydney shootings, Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison said today.

“The revelation of what Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione described as ‘the biggest illegal syndicate doing this type of illegal gun trafficking that Australia has seen’, allegedly operating right here in the Shire is a damning indictment of yet another area of failed border protection from the Gillard Government.

“The NSW Police investigation has uncovered a gaping hole in our border protection regime to stop illegal guns coming into this country. As Commissioner Scipione also said yesterday ‘this isn’t just a border security issue, it’s a national security issue’.

“Labor have already proven they can’t be trusted to stop the boats. Now it’s clear they can’t be trusted to stop the guns either.

“Under Labor’s failed border protection, up to 220 guns have been allegedly smuggled into Australia, avoiding the detection of Customs, and are now out there in our community, available to criminal gangs to use in violent crimes against Sydney residents.

“NSW Police have alleged that at least one of these guns was used in a drive by shooting incident in Sydney, that they were allegedly imported for use by criminals including outlaw motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime groups and they remain on the streets.

“Like all local residents I was shocked to find out that this was allegedly occurring right here in the Shire. It is especially disturbing that a franchisee of the Post Office was allegedly involved and that Customs and Border Protection did not detect the smuggling.

“I will be vehemently pursuing the Gillard Government over why our Border Protection agencies did not prevent the alleged importation of these guns into our community.

“Yesterday I raised this matter in the Parliament and put a series of questions to the Prime Minister. I also called on the Minister for Home Affairs to conduct a full audit into transactions undertaken at the Sylvania Heights Post Office, including those involving the franchisee allegedly part of the smuggling ring, as a first step.

“While the NSW State Labor Opposition cheaply sought to blame Barry O’Farrell for the drive by shootings ravaging Sydney, it would seem that these failures are much closer to Canberra than they are to Macquarie Street.

“This incident raises serious questions about the operations of our border agencies and the management of our more than 4,400 postal agencies throughout the network and I will be pursing these matters with the Government vehemently,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Matter of Public Importance - Labor's border protection failure on guns

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Matter of Public Importance - Labor's border protection failure on guns

Wednesday 14th March 2012

I am pleased to speak on this matter of public importance on border protection because it is critically important. I have listened to the contribution by the minister at the table and I have some sympathy for him. I understand Mr Clare is new to the portfolio and I understand that he has been delivered an absolute hospital pass by his predecessor. I am sure one of the first things he did when he became minister was to send a little note: 'Dear colleague, thank you for the hospital pass you sent me through your maladministration of the portfolio previously.' Maybe he saved himself time by using the proforma that the current Minister for Immigration and Citizenship used when he sent a little note to Senator Evans: 'Dear Senator Evans, thank you for the hospital pass you have given me through your maladministration of the portfolio.' I will not go too heavily on the minister at the table today because I am sure his failures are ahead of him. There will be plenty of time to deal with those in the future.

This debate is about the cuts that have been made to the Customs and Border Protection Service, which are a result of the fact that this government has lost control of our borders. It has had a budget blowout on immigration alone of $3.9 billion over the last three years. When you blow that much money, because you blow your borders so badly, these are the sorts of decisions a government is forced to take.

The minister at the table made reference to what the view of the New South Wales government was. He may not be aware of what the New South Wales Premier said in question time today. He said: 'It is time the federal government stopped burying its head in the sand about the porous nature of our borders and our customs service. It's time they stopped focusing on themselves and their factional and leadership issues and it's time they started to provide this city, this state and this nation with the effective control of our borders that people have a right to expect.'

They have a right to expect it because they got used to it under the previous Howard government. They got used to it. They were used to having a government that understood the importance of domestic national security matters and having strong borders—and having a commitment to strong borders—and having the resources in place and the policies in place to provide strong borders. There is a delusion on that side of the chamber about who is trusted to protect Australia's borders and ensure our domestic national security. It is the coalition that is trusted. It is not a theory; it is a fact. Our record is a fact. The government likes to talk about its theories and its failed policies. The coalition can simply refer to the fact. The fact is, the Australian people know that we got the job done, the policies we had worked, we will restore them and we will get the job done again if given the opportunity to do so in government. We need to understand why and how the failures on our borders caused by this government that have produced $3.9 billion in blowouts over the last few years have led to cuts being made in other areas that are putting other people at risk, as we mentioned in the House today. There were the government's decisions to abolish the Pacific solution and to abolish the processing centre at Nauru. There was the decision to reverse even the then Prime Minister's commitment to border protection before the election. Do you remember him—Prime Minister Rudd? At least 31 members on that side of the chamber remember him. They will remember that it was his commitment to turn back boats before the 2007 election. He walked away from that in a hurry.

Those in this House, and particularly those outside this House, will remember the asylum freeze that was announced by Senator Evans. That was a particularly good present that was left for the new minister for immigration after the election. It was something that led to an additional 1,200 Afghans being put into the system for six months to just sit there, which fuelled and fanned the dissension within the detention network. The Hawke-Williams review found that that played a key role in the build-up of pressures that led to the Christmas Island riots that happened a year ago this week, where the Christmas Island detention centre went up in flames. There was also the East Timor farce and there was the Malaysian failure. I refer to it as a failure because it did not work. Madam Deputy Speaker, I know you were not a great fan of the Malaysia policy of this government. There were many on that side of the chamber who were not fans of that policy.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms AE Burke ): The member for Cook should not push it.

Mr «MORRISON»: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. That policy was described as not working by none other than the member for Griffith, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Foreign Affairs thought he was so convincing in his demolition of the Malaysian people swap that he should become Prime Minister again. That is what we know about this government and that minister's commitment to that policy. Then of course it was crowned with the let-them-in, let-them-out policy of the Greens, which the government introduced in late November of 2011 and which was followed by the biggest summer of boat arrivals on record—2,100 people turned up on boats in the most dangerous period of the year following the government's decision to go to mainstream community release.

I received an email not that long ago from one of my constituents who was reflecting on the government's performance in border protection. She wrote that 'this government is run by muppets'. I think that is the frustration and concern that is out there in the community about the government's handling of border protection issues. They remind me, whether it is the Minister for Immigration or his predecessor or the Prime Minister herself, of the Great Gonzo, who would get up and blow his trumpet at the end of the Muppet Show theme. It would blow up in his face every single time he did it. That has been the history of border protection policy under Labor. Their immigration policy and their border protection policy would make the Great Gonzo proud. They are muppets for many other reasons. We know muppets are controlled by faceless men. That is something the government is pretty well aware of and the Prime Minister certainly knows that. There were also the two muppets who used to sit up there in the bleachers, not unlike the two older members in the chamber sitting up there in the bleachers—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Cook has strayed considerably and will return to the MPI or I will invoke standing order 90 and sit him down.

Mr «MORRISON»: I will return to the topic in saying this: when they said—

Mr Tehan interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Wannon has got one last chance.

Mr «MORRISON»: As the show would end, one would turn to the other and say, 'Just when you think things could not get any worse'—just like the government's border protection policy—'something wonderful happens.' The other one would say 'What is that?', and he would get the reply, 'It ends.' That is what the Australian people want to see from this government; they want to see this farce end.

The budget blow-outs of $3.9 billion on this waste, mismanagement and incompetence on our borders have been catastrophic. There was a $208 million blow-out in the additional estimates of 2009-10; a $798 million blow-out in the budget estimates of 2010-11; a $472 million blow-out in the additional estimates of 2010-11; and a $1.528 billion blow-out in the budget estimates in 2011-12. In the most recent additional estimates, there was a blow-out of $866 million. That is how you get to $3.9 billion in blow-outs—by failed border protection policies; by being completely in denial.

Since the riots I referred to, a couple of things have happened. Those riots were a year ago this week. The heart of the problem we have with this government is they are in denial. Who is really running the show? Dr Hawke confirmed the view in evidence to the detention inquiry recently that the asylum seekers got a 'no' and they rioted. There was a build-up in the population within those centres in the detention network. There was a failure of the government to expand that network prior to the election and that led to considerable pressures in the system. At the end of the day, it was sparked off by the fact that a whole bunch of people got a 'no' and they rioted. What has happened since then? The rate of primary acceptance for refugee claims for IMAs has doubled; the number of protection visas given to people has tripled; and the number of 'no' decisions turned to 'yes' on appeal is four out of five. It would seem to me that the rioters got what they wanted.

The people smugglers have certainly had what they wanted for the last four years. They have had a government with failed border protection policies. As those policies have continued to fail, as the government has continued to ramp up the costs, it has undermined the capacity, more broadly, of our border agencies—whether it is Immigration, whether it is AQIS or whether it is Customs and Border Protection—to do the job that we trust them to do. That has resulted in guns turning up in post offices in my electorate. It has resulted in guns getting into this country, and Australians are very concerned about that. That has been exposed today and the government should be ashamed of itself.

Speech : Suspension of standing orders - Alleged gun smuggling ring in Sylvania Waters

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Suspension of standing orders - Alleged gun smuggling ring in Sylvania Waters

Wednesday 14th March 2012

I second the motion. There is a falsehood that is being perpetrated by this government today and that is why standing orders must be suspended. The Prime Minister must explain to this House how the government can make bold-faced claims today about their credentials on border protection when the very issue they cite—the importation of illegal weapons, as exposed by the New South Wales Police Force—has exposed their own failures on our borders.

The revelation that gun components were smuggled into my own electorate at the Sylvania Waters post office is bad enough. There must now be a full audit of all transactions conducted by that post office, ordered by the Minister for Home Affairs at the table and the minister for communications if necessary. The fact that the guns have been allegedly used in the drive-by shootings that have plagued Sydney is even worse. Whether components of the weapons smuggled through the Sylvania Waters post office were used in a drive-by shooting weeks later the Prime Minister was unable to confirm today. But I am reliably informed—

The SPEAKER: The honourable member will return to the motion being debated.

Mr MORRISON: This is why standing orders must be suspended—because the Prime Minister must explain why the Australian people can have confidence in her when these things are occurring. There have been 60 shootings. This is a matter of urgent importance. There were 60 shootings in Sydney in the year to the end of February. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. The incident that sparked the post office investigation occurred in December of last year. That investigation went all through January. It was not until February that Customs became part of this investigation. They were late to the operation because they did not know that our borders had been breached. That is why standing orders must be suspended—for the Prime Minister to explain.

The fact that our border agency did not prevent this breach or know about it without the good work of the New South Wales Police Force is a cause for major concern. That is why the Prime Minister must explain. If you can bring in components of Glocks then what other components are being brought in across our borders for even more serious weaponry that threaten our national security? If it takes the New South Wales police to find out when our borders have been breached because the Customs and Border Protection Service do not know then what is happening in the other states and territories? That is why the Prime Minister must come into this place today and explain herself. What assurance can this Prime Minister give to Sydney families and those across the country that her failed border protection regime is up to the job when this is her record?

We do not make weapons in this country for non-military purposes. This was a fact confirmed today by the New South Wales police. New guns are on our streets in Sydney because they are getting across our borders. They crossed our borders on this government's watch and found their way all the way to Sylvania Waters. That is why standing orders must be suspended. Commissioner Scipione recently stated in reference to the guns imported from overseas that this is an urgent issue and a toxic problem. 'It is happening,' he said. 'That is the elephant in the room,' he said. This elephant in the room must be debated. That is why standing orders must be suspended. Commissioner Scipione tells us clearly that this is a serious problem.

There will be many reasons why the Prime Minister cannot give this assurance and why those on that side of the House today will prevent this matter being urgently debated in this place. They will do that because they know that the key reason is what the Leader of the Opposition has plainly set out: this government have lost control of our borders. In losing control of our borders, they have undermined the capacity of their agencies to control those borders for even more serious purposes. When you cannot stop the boats, you cannot stop the guns—and you undermine the capacity of the government agencies to do their jobs.

The SPEAKER: The member will return to the substance of the question.

Mr MORRISON: Standing orders must be suspended because this is an urgent issue that is facing the citizens of New South Wales. It is an urgent issue that has been highlighted by the best policeman in this country, Commissioner Scipione, and he is saying that it needs attention. Those on that side of the House say this should not be debated. Those on that side of the House are saying this is a matter we should just scurry away from. But I know that the Customs and Border Protection Service was not involved in that investigation until February. It is good that they finally caught up, but what the people of Sydney want—and they want it debated in this House—is for these matters to get full attention.

Media Release : Labor marks Christmas Island riots anniversary with more boat arrivals

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The illegal arrival of another boat, carrying 34 asylum seekers, during the first anniversary of the Christmas Island riots is a reminder that nothing has changed under Labor’s failed border protection policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“So far this year, 1258 people have arrived on 16 boats. This is more than double the number of people who turned up during the same period in the lead up to the Christmas Island riots in 2011,” Mr Morrison said.

“A year on from the riots Labor has still failed to address the key cause of the pressures that led to the riots, namely the sheer volume of people turning up on boats,” he said.

“What's worse is that Labor are even further away from a solution today than at any other time. Labor continue to cling to failures and excuses rather than overcome their denial and restore the proven policies of the Howard Government that they abolished.

“A year on from the riots, the boats keep coming and the detention centres are filling up again, despite the introduction of Labor's mainstream community release programme adopted from the Greens,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Whilst this Gillard Government continues to point the finger and blame everyone and anyone else for the border protection chaos that they have created, the illegal boat arrivals continue to pour in at an unmanageable rate placing enormous pressure on the already under resourced and overstretched Border Protection Command,” Mr Keenan said.

“It is typical of this Labor Government to continually blame everyone else for their inadequacies and inability to effectively manage our borders and govern our country,” he said.

“Unlike the Gillard Labor Government, the Coalition is serious about stopping the boats and protecting Australia’s borders. We know what policies will work, because they were working until this incompetent Labor Government unravelled them when they came to power.

“If the Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare was actually serious about the interests of the nation, then he would start by restoring the drastic cuts that his predecessor made to the vital agencies of our Customs and Border Protection Command.

“Until then the only thing we can be certain of is that the boats will keep coming at a rapid rate,” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - Doorstop interview

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Doorstop interview

Tuesday 13th March 2012

Subjects: Anniversary of Christmas Island riots, Coalition border protection policy, Newspoll

EandOE

MORRISON:
A year ago this week Christmas Island descended into chaos and the Australian Federal Police had to retake the facility from those rioting detainees on Christmas Island. A year later very little has changed. The government still has no plan, no clue, when it comes to boats arriving in Australia. Our detention network is filling up once again and the government continues to cling to policy failures and excuses rather than embrace the proven policies and solutions of the Howard Government that the Coalition has been calling on them to do now for four years now, which they have stubbornly refused. Yesterday we also saw the Minister finally sign an arrangement with the Northern Territory police for over $50 million which is yet another bill that taxpayers will have to face as a result of the government’s failed border protection. But still amazingly almost a year after the riots in Villawood there is still no agreement between the federal government and the NSW Police. This is a government who almost a year later from Villawood, a year after Christmas Island is still unable to give the key issues recommended by the Hawke/Williams review and other inquiries, to get them in place. So this is a government that has lost control of our borders, lost control of our detention network and the pressures still remain and they will continue to build. The government has no plan. There won’t be a plan after these two weeks, there won’t be a plan in six months and the government’s only plan is to basically let people out which is what they have done. The rate of protection visa issuance after the Christmas Island riots increased three fold on what it was in the quarters that preceded it and now they have moved to their community release scheme. So it would seem at the end of the day the rioters got what they wanted. No visas were cancelled for those involved in the riots and the Australian people can rightly assume the rioters got what they wanted.

QUESTION:
Will the Opposition support Rob Oakeshott’s private members bill as a way forward?

MORRISON:
Rob Oakeshott’s bill is a carbon copy of the government’s bill and that is not a surprise. Rob Oakeshott has supported the Prime Minister more than 31 membrs of her own caucus. So his bill in its current form is simply a carbon copy of the government’s Malaysia bill and as a result our position on that bill is fairly straight forward. I raised our concerns with his bill with Mr Oakeshott almost a month ago. I referred him to our amendment to the government’s bill and haven’t received any reply from him on that. So in its current form it is basically the government’s bill with more woolly headed thinking around it I think. What we need is a restoration of proven policies of the Howard government that worked.

QUESTION:
Inaudible.

MORRISON:
I don’t feel a need to respond to it at all in that all I have said and done in this portfolio is highlight the government’s failures and ensure the Australian public has access to the facts of what is happening on our borders. The Coalition will never be intimidated out of our views on this issue as people try to do and the government constantly tries to do. The facts are under this government and their policies on border protection our borders have failed, almost 16,000 people have turned up. As I have just said we are marking this week the anniversary of when our detention network went into complete chaos and crisis and was set alight so that is the government’s record and the Coalition's record is one of where we stopped the boats and we weren’t spending over $1 billion a year on this issue and the Australian people trusted us on it.

Again we can see today the Australian people have rejected what the Labor caucus endorsed just two weeks ago. In the Newspoll today we have seen the Labor primary vote fall to 31 points. Now that is not what was in the plan in terms of restoring Julia Gillard.

QUESTION:
But the Coalition’s primary vote has also fallen by two points.

MORRISON:
Well of all the members who sit in this Parliament today only those on the Coalition benches will welcome an election today. We would welcome it, we would like to see it and it is not just the Coalition members it is the Australian people. The Australian people constantly and repeatedly issue a vote of no confidence in this government. Over 30 of the Prime Minister’s own members issued a vote of no confidence in this Prime Minister two weeks ago and it is quite clear the Australian people resoundingly agree with this position and want to see this government gone.

QUESTION:
The Indonesian Ambassador has indicated that his country doesn’t support your policy of turning boats around. How do you expect to do this if the nation you are turning them back to won’t support it?

MORRISON:
Well first of all, the Indonesian ambassador had misrepresented to him by the ABC journalist Jim Middleton, the Coalition’s policy. So that interview I assume you are referring to is based on a misrepresentation of the Coalition’s policy to the ambassador but the Coalition’s policies are not theories they are proven historic facts and we will restore the policies and implement them in the same way we did on the last occasion and the proof of that was in its implementation and success.

QUESTION:
But the Indonesian foreign minister has also indicated that his country doesn’t support it. I mean you are banging your head against a brick wall on this one aren’t you?

MORRISON:
No. The Coalition’s proven success on these policies is there for all to see. We will restore those policies, we will implement them as we did last time. We faced the same challenges last time. We overcame those challenges last time, the policies were successful and no amount of berating of the Opposition over our polices on border protection will alter our resolve on these issues…

QUESTION:
But you said you want to develop a strong relationship with the Indonesia Government…

MORRISON:
And we do and we will.

QUESTION:
But how are you going to do that I they do not support this and you persist with it?

MORRISON:
What we have said plainly is the Coalition will build a strong relationship with Indonesia based on a mutual respect of the key priorities of our two nations. This is an Australian Government that has trashed our relationship with Indonesia whether it is how they have dealt with the live cattle trade or other issues. The government’s record is one of failure. Our record is one of implementing our policies on border protection successfully and maintaining a healthy and strong relationship with Indonesia. That is what happened last time. It is not a theory, it is a fact and it is something we are confident we will be able to do again in government.

QUESTION:
Julia Gillard has overtaken Tony Abbott as preferred Prime Minister. Is it time for Tony Abbott to step it up?

MORRISON:
Of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition only the Leader of the Opposition would like to see an election called today so I think that is the final word on where the politics of these matters rest. The Coalition would like to see an election because the Australian people want to see an election. The Australian people are sick to death of having to pay for this government’s failures whether on our borders, our nation’s finances, the looming carbon tax, the mining tax or whether it is just the day to day incompetence we see from this government. They want to see it end and the best way to do that is by calling an election which this government and Prime Minister refuses to do.

She may have the numbers in caucus but she clearly does not have them with the Australian people.

END

Speech : Transcript - 2UE David Oldfield

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2UE David Oldfield

Monday 12th March 2012

SUBJECTS: $60 million in free legal advice provided to asylum seekers, Labor’s $4 billion border protection blow out, 80% overturn rate on appeals for refugee status, Coalition’s border protection policy, Migration Review Tribunal

E and OE

OLDFIELD:
Scott Morrison is the Opposition Spokesman on Immigration. You hear him regularly because he’s one of those people who’s out on the front foot on all of these sorts of issues, as he should be. The number of boats carrying asylum seekers surging, the cost of providing free legal advice to them has skyrocketed. Believe it or not, free legal aid for asylum seekers is set to cost us - the taxpayers - more than $60 million this year. But it’s probably a drop in the bucket compared to the billions that their arrivals cost anyway but you kind of figure, don’t you, that once you’ve been assessed that you are not an asylum seeker, once you’ve been assessed as one of those people who’s trying to economically resettle in another nation, being ours, it’d be pretty much all over. But apparently not. Of course the asylum seekers are winning their appeals to become refugees, jump from just under 50% - 46.8% in 2009-10 to 79.3% so let’s face it – simple as this – you are assessed under probably what are the easiest policies in the history of mankind to be a refugee and you then find that a proportion of these people, not too many, are assessed not to be refugees. Second time around 80% of them get assessed as refugees, they get to stay here, you and I pay for the process. The Migration Review Tribunal is also going to cost $30 million. Scott Morrison thanks for being with us.

MORRISON:
G’day David.

OLDFIELD:
Scott, look, this is – we have Australians, we have Australians who are desperately in need of legal aid. I mean, this is abhorrent.

MORRISON:
Well it is and it’s just part of the general failure when you lose control of your borders. I mean, you made the point – the running total now of blowouts in the budget on border protection/asylum policy is around $4 billion over the last three years and this is one of the reasons for that but to pick up the point you just made - when we were holding the detention inquiry up in Darwin, we heard evidence from Legal Aid up in Darwin which was talking about the fact that they were now doing so many cases in the Federal Magistrate’s court for asylum seekers that other cases, particularly family law cases where people needed that support - and there’s no greater negative impact on the Australian community of marriages failing and families falling apart - so that was one practical example of where services were having to be diverted. Under the government’s policies now, you can appeal all the way through to the courts and you just keep on appealing and that’s why I described it today as a type of “Hotel California” syndrome where once you turn up, you never have to leave and that’s the experience under this government.

OLDFIELD:
And you just appeal – how long would the appeals take really until you get to a point where they determine you’re the one or two people who just do not qualify – how many years could you be here for that?

MORRISON:
Up to ten.

OLDFIELD:
Ten.

MORRISON:
I mean, that’s what had happened previously and that’s why we as a government when we were last in power got rid of those appeals. See, what we would have on Nauru – when you have offshore processing on Nauru, you don’t get access to all of that. What we had there, which is what we’d restore, is a single case officer appeal. So one case officer looks at your case. If they say no, another case officer up there will have a look at it and if that’s a no, it’s no. That’s it. And 30% of people on Nauru went home as a result I think of those policies and others. We’ve had less than 2% go home of their own volition under this government.

OLDFIELD:
And we’ve got to pay them to go anyway, don’t we?

MORRISON:
Well you do and I wouldn’t want to mislead people, we had similar policies but the key thing is; you’ve got to get people to go home. A no has to mean no and an overturn rate of 80% and a recognition rate overall then which means about 9 out of 10 who come get a positive decision - now that’s significantly above what we’re seeing particularly in the UK and Germany and other places so no wonder people are being drawn here like bees to honey.

OLDFIELD:
Yes indeed. Look the situation though, clearly it’s a lot easier to get people to go home if they’re leaving from somewhere like Nauru rather than basking in the welfare state of a Sydney suburb.

MORRISON:
Well you’re on all of those things you just mentioned but you’re also able to continue appealing and appealing and appealing and as long as you’re appealing, they will give you bridging visas. Now people understand that, they know how to gain the system. The Coalition doesn’t have a problem with having an appeals process; just not an endless appeal process. That’s what we abolished when we were in government together with temporary protection visas, turning the boats around where it’s safe to do so and offshore processing. All of these things worked together to be effective and that’s what’s changed completely under this government.

OLDFIELD:
Surely the biggest growth industry here is the lawyers. I see David Manne - $4.13 million since August – no wonder he was so happy about being successful in overturning the Malaysian solution and what have you in the courts. We must be seeing law firms pretty much spring up just making all their dough out of appeals.

MORRISON:
Well we’re paying for all sides of the argument. We’re paying for the yes argument, the no argument and the court.

OLDFIELD:
And the stay argument too, we’re paying for them when they stay.

MORRISON:
Well that’s right and that’s how it plays out. I mean, it’s sort of a mini-legal stimulus program being run by this government as a result of their border protection failures and I think Australian taxpayers are just sick of paying for the cost of Labor’s failures, whether it’s in border protection or in other areas, they’re just sick to death of having to stump up with the cheque every time this government stuffs up.

OLDFIELD:
Now Rob Oakeshott is said to have a private member’s bill to reinstate offshore processing but where is he going to reinstate it? Where are they going to be processed?

MORRISON:
Look Rob’s bill at present is just a carbon copy of the government’s Malaysia bill.

OLDFIELD:
Right.

MORRISON:
And as a result, our position is the same. I’d had some discussions with Rob several weeks ago when he introduced it and I made this point to him and I made it clear that our position was the same and that was that the Refugee Convention signatory status was the test that we want to see in place. I sent him quite a bit of information about why that was necessary and I haven’t heard back from him yet but nevertheless the bill I imagine will be debated sometime next week but if it looks the same as it is today, well I don’t know why the government or Mr Oakeshott would think our position would be any different.

OLDFIELD:
Scott, there were some stories in the papers over the weekend about people who are inverted commas “refugees” going home, going to the places from whence they came to family events like weddings. Is there anybody realistically with half a brain in this nation that cannot understand that a person’s supposed refugee status is kind of extinguished by the safety of being able to go home for a family event?

MORRISON:
Well it’s a good point and that’s why under our policy temporary protection visas deny you the opportunity to leave the country. I mean, if you need safe haven, then we’ll provide it to you if we’ve determined you need it and that would mean that you don’t need to leave the country to go back to where you’re claiming to seek asylum from. So that’s , you know, that’s just one of the examples of why I think temporary protection visas is a sensible policy and when the danger passes, as it hopefully does, I mean that’s what everybody hopes. We don’t want to see these situations, whether the situation that existed in Sri Lanka or in any other places, continue indefinitely. And when things return to a safe situation, well, people should be able to go home and resume their lives in their home country.

OLDFIELD:
13 13 32, David Oldfield nearly 16 minutes past 10, joined by Opposition Shadow spokesman on Immigration Scott Morrison. Scott, look, the question that would have to be in the minds of a lot of people and I get emails about this countlessly asking me why is the Labor government doing this – let me simply pose it to you. It must be abundantly clear to people including Chris Bowen that much of what we’re seeing these days is simple economic resettlement. It’s like an international socialist-run agenda to just bring people from disadvantaged nations to Australia and let them sort of just stay here. I can see it, you must be able to see it, any sensible person can see it. Why does the government keep letting it happen?

MORRISON:
Stubborn pride is the short answer. They simply don’t want to admit that when they abolished the Howard measures that they demonised for a decade, the boats started coming and the chaos turned up. It was this time last year that we had the riots on Christmas Island – literally they started yesterday a year ago and in this week, a year ago, Christmas Island went up in flames. And they are in absolute denial for their culpability over that and every other issue that’s happened in between and there’s a big difference between what’s happening now and the generosity shown by Australians in the Indo-Chinese refugee crisis in the late 70s and throughout the 1980s. That was a crisis on our doorstop – people were coming directly on boats fleeing directly the scene of conflict. Now we had an offshore processing regime that was operating at that time –very few boats actually got to Australia during that time and it was Malcolm Fraser who put in place offshore processing in Indonesia and then we took in increased numbers out of that. Now that is a world away of difference to what we’re seeing today with a commercial people smuggling trade putting people on packages of $10,000 a person out of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan and Iraq all the way through to Australia. I mean, for those who came out on boats, particularly Indochinese refugees, I think they often and they’ve expressed this to me directly, feel very offended by the suggestion that they’re in a similar case to those we’re seeing today and I think the cases are very, very different and I think they have a good point.

OLDFIELD:
I think you’re right. Thanks for your time, Scott.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot David.

OLDFIELD:
Scott Morrison, Opposition Spokesperson for Immigration.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - Sky News Australian Agenda

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Sky News Australian Agenda

Sunday 11th March 2012

SUBJECTS: Coalition’s plan for a stronger economy, Coalition border protection policy, Coalition women at risk policy, productivity, skilled immigration, industrial relations, media inquiry

E and OE

VAN ONSELEN:
Let’s go straight to the economy if we can as a starting point. How on earth is the Coalition going to get back to a budget surplus after the sort of revelations that we’ve seen this week from the Secretary of the Treasury?

MORRISON:
Well a) that’s a question for Joe Hockey not for me but just going back to what Paul just said about the commission of audit, this is a very significant policy announcement I think from Tony Abbott. It is what we did back in 1996. There’s nothing short of rolling up your sleeves and getting into the sort of issues that Paul raised and the Treasury Secretary, and what Tony has demonstrated is the commitment of the Coalition government to do that. This week we announced three policies – the commission of audit, issues in relation to defence superannuation and the policy for women at risk under the refugee program. All three of these were rejected by the government. They are sounding a lot more like an alternative opposition than they are a government.

PAUL KELLY:
If we look at the speech that Tony Abbott gave, essentially what he is talking about here is a pretty tough approach to government spending, do you recognise that there are political risks in doing that? How do you combat the government’s attack on you?

MORRISON:
Well there’s no shortage of tough decisions that anyone who is interested in being involved in politics for the next 20 years or so will have to take. That was the clear message from Mr Parkinson’s speech this week. We are dealing with a structural change happening in the economy which will require structural responses over the long term. Now that goes well out beyond the next Parliamentary term and I think that was the profound implication of what Martin Parkinson was saying this week. This isn’t just about the next 12 or 18 months; this is about the next 20 years and I think what Tony laid out in that speech was a clear commitment that that’s the space that the next government will have to be in, and the space the current government is in is constantly around this short term media opportunism. It is all within the cycle that I remember too well from NSW under Bob Carr and as we all know now Bob Carr has come to Canberra and so has that approach.

MATTHEW FRANKLIN:
Mr Morrison you have spoken a lot, Tony Abbott has spoken a lot about reigning in spending - isn’t though the bottom line that to do that you’ll need to cut services or increase taxes? So which will it be?

MORRISON:
The commission of audit I think is the key issue here for us to address a lot of those things in government. We have already outlined, as we did before the last election, a whole swag of issues where we think we can improve the budget position. That remains our position and those issues continue to be worked over in opposition now and our decisions prior to the election will be made before the election.

FRANKLIN:
Do you think that Australian voters understand the need, as we have been discussing, for the depth of cuts and austerity that are required and that could and probably will mean they will get less services?

MORRISON:
Well I think the Australian people understand a lot more than people give them credit for. They are already dealing with the realities in their own budgets, in their own households and they understand the decisions they are having to take, they understand the cost of living pressures they are under. That is why they are furious about the government’s carbon tax. That’s why they are furious about other changes the government has made so I think the Australian people are doing with their own budgets what we are all talking about now – obviously that will have to happen under any government’s budget but certainly would happen under a Coalition government.

SIMON BENSON:
There are people in your own Shadow Cabinet asking the very same questions about some of your policies at the moment, particularly paid parental leave. This is an issue that comes up from time to time in your party room. Surely a commission of audit or an audit commission would look at your own spending policies as well and perhaps face some questions about those?

MORRISON:
Well I think it has to be a full and frank audit and I think it will be. That is what Tony is committed to. The policy you referred to is fully funded under our program…

VAN ONSELEN:
By business.

MORRISON:
That is the discipline that has to be imposed on any policy decisions of a government going forward and it’s certainly the discipline we would have.

BENSON:
But it is funded under current fiscal forecasts and clearly they are changing all the time, you are talking about a commission of audit in two years time, perhaps 18 months time, the circumstances would have changed by then.

MORRISON:
Well who knows how much more havoc the Labor Party can wreak on the nation’s finances between now and then? Probably as much as they will wreak on our borders. So it is a bit of a forecasting task to work out just how wrong they get it. Within the space of the Budget to the MYEFO, we saw a blow out in the budget deficit significantly to over $30 billion. So this is something this government constantly gets wrong.

VAN ONSELEN:
But the Coalition is still relying on its costings from the last election when circumstances were very different as you rightly point out.

MORRISON:
Well these things are under constant review and they are updated internally as we get the additional information that comes out of the government.

VAN ONSELEN:
But that updating is going to require a hell of a lot of cuts if what we are looking at in terms of the changes is to be believed.

MORRISON:
Our decisions on these things will be made and announced well before the next election and that is our commitment and that is what Joe and Andrew and Tony will be doing.

KELLY:
If we just go to your portfolio area, you have pledged to turn back the boats. This is the big commitment given by Tony Abbott and yourself. We had an article in the Australian yesterday by Cameron Stewart pointing out that this is just not viable, that the Navy has deep reservations about this, that the Indonesian government is very concerned about this, so how do you make this policy work?

MORRISON:
Well I don’t think there was anything terribly new in what Cameron said in his article yesterday. What we know is that this policy is not a theory, it is actually a policy that was actually implemented under the previous Coalition government and was a policy implemented consistent with our international obligations, particularly the obligations of commanders at sea. I don’t think that anyone is suggesting the now head of navy when he was a commander of one of these vessels ever acted against his obligations as a commander of that vessel under the law of the sea so our policy has been implemented and proven and has worked and we would seek to restore it on the same basis as last time.

KELLY:
But this is a very difficult situation. Is what you are saying that a Coalition government would instruct the Navy to turn back the boats even though the navy felt that this was a dangerous exercise?

MORRISON:
The Coalition’s policy will be the same as it was last time Paul, exactly the same as it was last time. There is one clear message I get back from people involved in the Navy now and that is that they will develop a plan to implement government policy. Now no one is suggesting that anyone would have to act contrary to their obligations under the various legal conventions and things that govern these situations, just as it was the case last time. So it is not theory…

KELLY:
Can you explain how on earth this policy works because we know asylum seekers will set fire to the vessel, will sink the vessel, so how will these boats be turned around?

MORRISON:
All of these things were risks and presented themselves last time too Paul and what I would say is – operationally, Paul, you would well know that these are not things that you go into specific detail about, in order not to put people in greater risk of these situations. But the policy, as I say, is not a fantasy. This is not the East Timor solution that was thrown about by the Prime Minister before the last election and was exposed as the fanciful notion that it was. This is an actual policy that was actually implemented and actually worked and we will actually reintroduce it.

FRANKLIN:
Mr Morrison you are asking people to vote for you and the policy is that you would turn back boats in circumstances where it is safe to do so.

MORRISON:
That’s right.

FRANKLIN:
In what circumstances is it safe to do so? Because if the argument is that these are risky seaborne journeys by people who have been taken advantage of by people smugglers, surely there are no circumstances where it is safe to do so?

MORRISON:
Well history tells a different story Matt because history tells the story of the last occasion where there were circumstances where it was safe to do so. Those circumstances presented themselves and the boats were turned around under those circumstances.

FRANKLIN:
Which circumstances?

MORRISON:
Well Admiral Griggs himself referred to a case when he was a commander of a vessel where he turned a boat around. Now on one occasion he could, on another occasion he couldn’t. These are historical facts, this isn’t conjecture like the Labor Party’s policy, this is history.

VAN ONSELEN:
Just to clarify though, it will be an operational decision. So in other words if the navy determines over a one, two, three year period that they can’t turn boats around, there just won’t be boats turning around?

MORRISON:
Well every vessel presents a different set of circumstances and there is a chain of command that is followed in relation to these instances, the same process that worked last time. No change is proposed to that. Our policy is the same today as it was ten years ago and the outcome of the policy ten years ago together with temporary protection visas, offshore processing and Nauru was that the boats stopped. Even Mr [John] Menadue agreed that these policies stopped the boats. He and others may not want the boats stopped. We do. We had the policies that worked and we are going to restore them. That is our commitment and everybody knows it.

VAN ONSELEN:
But you’ll need to do something about the government’s relationship with Indonesia to make that happen. If history is to repeat itself there needs to be a different attitude from Indonesia because it is different today to what it is back then.

MORRISON:
Well this government I think has a very poor relationship with Indonesia and I think the attitude of the Indonesian government, particularly in relation to the live cattle trade and what this government did to Indonesia was appalling, and obviously this relationship needs some attention and that is something Tony made very clear earlier in the year when he said – I mean, we are going to have a Jakarta focus, not a Geneva focus. Now I don’t know where Bob Carr’s focus is going to be, that’s not quite clear but we would certainly have more of a Jakarta focus to our efforts in these areas and we would have a very strong and robust relationship where there was a total respect for the priorities of the Indonesian government as we would also expect there would be a respect for the priorities of an Abbott led Coalition government. I think that is the basis upon which you can work strongly together, as we did last time when we implemented all of these policies and they worked. The Australian people know that. Look, we get plenty of intimidation and vilification around these issues all the time. People try to bully us out of our policies. We won’t be bullied out of our policies, we will implement them and the people who know that better than anyone else are the people smuggles and that is why they don’t want to see an Abbott Government elected.

KELLY:
What sort of incentives would you offer the Indonesian Government in order to get them on board?

MORRISON:
Well I think fundamentally Paul it is the nature of the relationship that exists between the two countries and at the moment, I don’t think we have the sort of robust relationship that we would need to have in place so we will work very quickly on that. It is a matter of the priority we afford that relationship and a respect for the priorities of both of the partners and that is what we would do.

BENSON:
Mr Morrison let’s call a spade a spade. You are talking about sending every single boat that arrives in Australian waters…

MORRISON:
No that is not true.

BENSON:
If the circumstances…

MORRISON:
Well I raise that, as you know, because there has been a lot of conjecture about this. There have been, not journalists around this table, but certainly others who have misrepresented our policy to the Indonesian government which I think was a very reckless and irresponsible thing to do.

BENSON:
But let me put it this way- if circumstances allow and theoretically is possible, every single boat would be going back to Indonesia, Jakarta would not accept that. How would you convince them to take back these people?

MORRISON:
Well again this is not a fanciful notion, this is a proven policy that has been implemented before successfully and we have had a very strong relationship with Indonesia over the period of time we implemented that policy so I have the same confidence about our ability to achieve this again.

KELLY:
I would like to ask you about the offshore humanitarian program because this program has been eroded as a result of the number of boat people arriving. What is the future of this program? Is it likely to fade away?

MORRISON:
Not under a Coalition government. This week we announced that 11,000 places of the 13,750 at minimum, would be reserved for the offshore humanitarian and refugee program. Within that we committed to at least 1,000 places for women at risk. That is over the 200 that the current government has. We have seen the offshore program fall from over 12,000 under the Howard Government to less than 9,000 now. That is going to fall even further when this government will hand out probably 5,000 protection visas to boat arrivals this year and 5000 plus next year. That means this program is being shrunk because we haven’t been able to protect our borders.

KELLY:
So what will happen to the program?

MORRISON:
Well what will happen under our policy is we will ensure that illegal boat arrivals come ultimately to an end as we did last time and that will free up the places again under this program. We are also offering temporary protection visas to those who have come illegally and the government’s policy is to offer permanent visas. Now we need to give permanent visas to people in the most desperate of situations that we can help. That is what our policies are designed to do and that is what this government’s policies on our borders have failed to do.

VAN ONSELEN:
Why can’t we just quarantine the offshore humanitarian program from boat arrivals and have that as a bi-partisan policy where you and Chris Bowen get together, you may not be able to agree on Nauru or the Malaysia solution but why not agree on a situation where no matter how many or few boats arrive each year it doesn’t impact on this important scheme in humanitarian terms?

MORRISON:
Well the government had that opportunity this week on our policy on women at risk. 1,000 minimum under the refugee and humanitarian program and Chris Bowen dismissed it. He rejected it out of hand.

VAN ONSELEN:
Would you be open to the idea though of quarantining it altogether so that is there were 1,000 boat arrivals or 10,000 it doesn’t matter, you take the same number of people including women at risk under the humanitarian scheme?

MORRISON:
Well we are not offering permanent visas to those who come by boat or those who come illegally. So we are in a position to be able to preserve the integrity of that refugee and humanitarian program. It is one of our core motivations for having stronger border protection – to ensure the integrity of the humanitarian program. The women who are at risk are not like many that we see come through the people smugglers. These are women who don’t have the resources to get out of a camp. These are women who don’t have the mobility to get out of a camp. Unless they come out on our program they will stay there and they will die there and their children will die in that camp as well.

BENSON:
Mr Morrison could I ask you a question about broader migration? This week the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen pointed out that for the first time in Australia’s history, Chinese migration to this country had outstripped that of the UK, is that something that is consistent with the Coalition’s immigration or migration policies or would you seek to recalibrate that?

MORRISON:
Our focus has always been on skilled migration and a non discriminatory approach to migration. So wherever people come from under that arrangement is really not the issue. The issue is are they coming with skills and ability to contribute and to create jobs and pay taxes and make a contribution to our country? That is the bottom line for us. This week the government also announced some changes to the temporary 457 program and issues around skilled migration. We supported that. We supported the government on that issue because when they have a good idea, and I appreciate it doesn’t happen that often, we do support it. Where they have bad policy, like they’ve had in border protection, we reject it. Now the government had the opportunity to support three good policies from the opposition this week, they rejected all three including women at risk and I think that just shows where the government is at in terms of their rhetoric when it comes to working together on issues that matter.

KELLY:
But under a Coalition government would we see a more flexible approach to 457 visas and would we see in fact more people coming into the country in order to meet some of the skills shortages?

MORRISON:
There is no doubt that temporary migration has become a growing and more important part of our migration program. When net overseas migration was up over 300,000 what we saw happening there was that around two thirds of that was coming from temporary migrants so capital is mobile, labour is mobile. I think that is one of the defining features of the economy going forward. You need to be able to balance those who are coming with those who are leaving and to ensure your population impacts are managed. But to answer your question Paul we have already said that we would return to a more liberalised arrangement for 457s. We have made that very clear.

KELLY:
So how many more people extra would you see coming in?

MORRISON:
This is largely a demand driven program so that is a function of how the economy operates. What we have also said and this is important, is that we would retain the oversight and sanctions mechanisms for those who would abuse the 457 program. I think they’re important reforms that came out of the Deegan review and we would continue to support that but we do need to ensure that particularly when you have significant skill shortages that can’t be met from your local population, then business shouldn’t have to jump through the sort of hoops they have had to under this government and 457s have been frustrated primarily as an industrial tactic on behalf of the unions on 457s and while I accept and support the common sense changes this week from Minister Bowen, it is a little too late.

KELLY:
So you think that Labor has been intimidated by the Trade Unions in this area?

MORRISON:
I have no doubt they have, Senator Evans in particular when he was Minister for Immigration was very robust in trying to shut down this program and we saw the results of that.

VAN ONSELEN:
Has the Coalition been intimidated by the trade unions in not putting workplaces relation reform back on the table – I mean that is a key driver to productivity and that is one of your areas of interest?

MORRISON:
We’ve never been intimidated by the trade unions and we’re not about to be.

VAN ONSELEN:
Well you may not be intimidated by them but nonetheless you are intimidated by the Australian people’s reaction to Workchoices even though business leaders are now telling us and no doubt you that if you want to lift productivity you need to workplace relations reform.

MORRISON:
Well I think we do and Tony has made that point. We had GDP per hour worked in this latest figure in the December quarter go up by point four of a per cent. I think that is a welcome improvement.

VAN ONSELEN:
When are we going to see serious IR reform on the table? I mean Tony Abbott is a former IR Minister.

MORRISON:
And Tony has made it very clear that all of that will be made clear before the next election.

VAN ONSELEN:
He better hope that the government lasts full term because he keeps wanting an early election but we don’t have any of these examples. Shadow Minister after Shadow Minister tells us that we’ll get all this before the next election. Mr Abbott says he wants an early election yet we are all still waiting.

MORRISON:
Well we don’t have an early election at the moment and if the Prime Minister were to actually respond to, I think, the very clear call of the Australian people for an election then I am sure all of this could be revealed.

FRANKLIN:
Isn’t that an issue though for the Coalition at this point of the political cycle? Labor has settled upon its leadership for now. Are you now at a point though where you have to concede that there is not likely to be an election in the short term, that it is likely to go full term and you should start laying out a program with that in mind?

MORRISON:
Well I think we always have to be responsive of the political circumstances. I probably don’t share your same level of enthusiasm that the government’s leadership problems are behind them. I think the government’s divisions are very clear underneath the surface and I think that will continue to play out over the year but our policy processes picked up the day after the last election. Our costings process, the same process, our expenditure review committee. The Coalition has continued to work hard on policy all throughout term.

FRANKLIN:
You want to be elected on the basis of policies that are out there and discussed and debated.

MORRISON:
If an election was called then obviously all of our policies would be out there. And many of our policies are out there. As I said, we announced three policies this week Matt and all three were rejected by the government so I think that is a pattern of the government’s oppositionism in government and I think that is a pattern we are getting pretty used to from this government – that of negativity.

VAN ONSELEN:
Scott Morrison, one final question. Our next guest is Professor Julian Disney, head of the Press Council. The Media Inquiry has obviously been prominent; there’s been some criticism about whether or not Malcolm Turnbull has been strong enough in some of his views in relation to the where the Coalition stands on this. Where does the Coalition stand in relation to the recommendations coming out of the media inquiry?

MORRISON:
Well you’d have to put that to Malcolm. That’s obviously his area of responsibility.

VAN ONSELEN:
What’s your view though? What would you like to see?

MORRISON:
My view is always that I stick to my areas of responsibility under my portfolio and I think that’s important in being a member of the team. We’ve got a very strong team, I’m very pleased to be part of that team – Malcolm’s a key part of that team, Joe’s a key part of that team and Tony leads a strong team. I think that’s the difference between us and the Labor party. We’re united, they’re divided.

FRANKLIN:
Sorry to interrupt but in principle are you as a man, put aside your position within the Coalition, in favour of the idea – the principle of a government body having an oversight function over a free media?

MORRISON:
I think I would share the view of millions of Australians that would be reticent about those sorts of principles. We have a free press – I don’t always like what it says but I would defend its right to say it and as someone who’s often at the, I think, the aggressive end sometime of some media commentary and individuals – look that goes with the territory. If you’re not robust enough to deal with that then you should find another occupation.

VAN ONSELEN:
Alright, Scott Morrison we appreciate you joining us on Australian Agenda. Thanks for your company.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot.

END

Media Release : Coalition calls on Labor to stop saying no to women at risk

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Coalition has called on the Government to reverse their decision to oppose Coalition policy announced yesterday to provide 1,000 guaranteed minimum resettlement places for women at risk, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“I am disappointed the government refused to support the Coalition’s common sense measure to provide guaranteed places for women at risk in our humanitarian program,” Mr Morrison said.

“This is a policy which deserves strong agreement but Minister Bowen rejected it without a thought,” he said.

“This policy will make a tremendous difference to the lives of 1,000 women and dependents who would get protection under our offshore humanitarian program, a program under siege due to Labor’s failure to control our borders.

“These are women who are in desperate circumstances, can’t afford to pay people smugglers and often remain forgotten and yet the government wasn’t able to put politics aside to offer their bi-partisan support for this program, even on International Women’s Day.

“The Coalition will support good policy when we see it. That is why today we supported common sense changes announced by the Government for the skilled visa programme.

“The Coalition introduced the 457 visa scheme and has always supported skilled migration. Where the government makes common sense changes we are pleased to support them, just as when they make bad policy decisions we will oppose them.

“By contrast yesterday, Minister Bowen and Labor said no to women at risk and I think that was a very disappointing outcome. This is something that both sides of politics should agree on but which the Labor government rejected,” Mr Morrison said.

A Social Cohesion Research Program analysis by the Scanlon Foundation released in January illustrates the decline in special humanitarian visas issued (including women at risk) as illegal boat arrivals have surged under Labor’s failed border protection policies. The report is available here - http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mapping-population/--documents/refugee-resettlement-fact-sheet.pdf

Media Release : Joint media release - Migration and women at risk

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Coalition will re-focus Australia’s refugee and humanitarian program and give priority to genuine refugees and offshore women at risk.

A Coalition Government will provide a guaranteed minimum of 1,000 places for women at risk and their dependents within Australia’s annual humanitarian intake.

We will ensure that Australia’s refugee and humanitarian resettlement programme provides places to those we can help most and those who are most in need.

Women at risk and their dependents waiting in camps and other desperate places offshore are among the most vulnerable of all who seek a better life in Australia. They have neither the means nor the opportunity to escape their circumstances.

This group will be given a very high priority by a Coalition government in Australia’s refugee and humanitarian programme.

In recent years, the annual intakes in the women at risk category have steadily fallen from 995 visas in 2005-06 to 759 visas in 2010-11.

This reflects the downward trend that has seen fewer places made available to poorer and more vulnerable offshore refugees, including those in the women at risk category. This is a direct consequence of Labor’s decision to abolish the Coalition’s proven border protection policies.

Currently the number of places available for offshore refugee and humanitarian entrants has fallen to fewer than 9,000 places. The Coalition will reserve a minimum of 11,000 places available in the 13,750 place Refugee and Humanitarian programme for offshore applicants. Of these 11,000 places, a minimum of 1,000 Woman at Risk visas will be allocated.

A Coalition government will ensure that appropriate settlement services are provided to women at risk once they arrive in Australia.

Our policies will ensure Australia’s refugee and humanitarian resettlement programme provides hope to the most vulnerable.

Media Release : Another boat arrival, another Labor excuse

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The arrival of 26 more people on another illegal boat this evening, taking this year’s total to more than 1,200 arrivals in 15 boats, has been welcomed with more Labor excuses, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Labor remain locked in denial and excuses for their border protection failures and have embraced a 'let them in and let them out policy' for people arriving on illegal boats,” Mr Morrison said.

“Since Labor effectively abolished mandatory detention and embraced the Greens policy for mainstream release of asylum seekers just over three months ago, 28 boats have turned up with more than 2,300 people on board,” he said.

“Labor's only response is to blame the Coalition and make excuses, yet Labor could act to restore the policies that worked under the Coalition at any time, instead they remain in lock step with the Greens.

“Labor cannot even agree with themselves on border protection.

“Only last week the Government gave themselves a vote of no confidence on border protection by voting against their offshore processing legislation being voted on in the parliament. The Minister for Immigration went one step further. After Kevin Rudd described his Malaysian people swap a failure, Mr Bowen voted to make Kevin Rudd Prime Minister.

“Labor simply cannot be trusted or believed when it comes to border protection. The people smugglers understand this and are making themselves rich in the process,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Whilst the Gillard Labor Government is once again distracted with their third Cabinet reshuffle in 18 months, the people smugglers continue to cement their control over Australia’s borders with the interception of yet another illegal boat today.

“This never ending stream of boat arrivals has already brought near on 16,000 asylum seekers since Labor unravelled the Coalition’s proven border protection policies,” he said.

"The repercussions of those foolish decisions continue to play out at enormous cost to the Australian tax payer and to the people who are encouraged to take this journey because of Labor's weak position.

"Labor is unable to accept that they created this mess and without that understanding they remain incapable of acting to see it resolved.

“This shambles has gone on for long enough. It is time the Labor party called an election so the Australian people can elect a government with the plan and resolve to destroy people smuggling," Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Noise sharing plus airport cap and curfew must remain

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The existing cap, curfew and noise sharing arrangements at Sydney Airport are non-negotiable, Local Federal Member for Cook Scott Morrison said today, in response to the release of the independent report into Sydney’s future aviation needs.

“The Shire already bears more than its fair share of the noise burden of Sydney Airport. I will not support any move to increase that burden whether it is by an increase in the cap, a weakening of the curfew or allowing traffic during non peak periods to increase to a level that makes noise sharing operations impossible,” Mr Morrison said.

“It was the Coalition in government that introduced the noise sharing arrangements for Sydney Airport to ensure the impact of operations did not unfairly burden the community. The ability to implement these operations must be maintained,” he said.

“These arrangements give Shire residents piece of mind and I welcome the continued support of the Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese, whom I have worked together with on a bi-partisan basis to preserve these important protections.

“Shire residents already have to deal with freight movements during the curfew and jets during the shoulder period as well as breaches to the curfew and flight paths that needlessly put planes over people's homes in the Shire when they could be flying over water or the National Park.

“Any proposal of extending this even further is unacceptable. The cap, curfew and noise sharing plan must remain.

“I note in today’s report the proposal for noise reduction targets based on use of new generation quieter aircraft types that would involve setting operating parameters on noise intensity and frequency of operations in noise sensitive hours.

“I look forward to seeing further detail on this proposal. However, quieter aircraft should lead to less noise for residents and should not be used as an excuse to remove caps and weaken curfews.

“Sydney Airport is a critical piece of economic infrastructure for Australia and the Shire. It is vital we retain jobs associated with the airport, however this must be done at the same time as preserving the quality of life of those most impacted by the airport's operations.

“The curfew, cap and noise sharing plan introduced by the Coalition are critical to keeping this balance right.

“As today’s report notes, clearly the situation of a single large scale airport is not sustainable for Sydney and that the best way to support jobs like those that thousands of Shire residents rely on in aviation industries for the long term is to give consideration to options for a second airport. My preference is for such an airport to be located outside the Sydney basin.

“The Badgerys Creek proposal is long dead and cannot be revived. Sites outside of the Sydney basin, such as Wilton, should be considered to ensure long term economic growth and the continued sustainability of the aviation sector in Australia which so many Shire residents rely on,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : PM rewards Bowen's failure in immigration

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Prime Minister has elected to reward failure in the immigration portfolio today, by reappointing Minister Bowen, which will only mean more boats, more cost and more chaos on our borders, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Today Julia Gillard could have elected for a fresh start on border protection by installing a new Minister with the job of cleaning up the mess left by Minister Bowen and implementing the Coalition’s strong border protection polices to stop the boats,” Mr Morrison said.

“Instead, Julia Gillard has elected to remain with the same failed Minister and the same failed policies in the immigration portfolio,” he said.

“Once again the big winner from the Prime Minister’s decision in immigration is the Greens.

“Last November Minister Bowen openly embraced the Greens’ asylum agenda when he announced his ‘let them in and let them out’ policy, with work rights, benefits payments, free rent and $10,000 housing start up packages for asylum seekers that led to the largest ever arrival of people on illegal boats over summer.

“Julia Gillard has endorsed border protection failure today. It is an endorsement of the 124 boats and 8,157 people that arrived on illegal boats under Minister Bowen’s watch and of the government’s capitulation to the Greens.

“Only the Labor Party can be trusted to reward failure.

“This is the same Minister who offered his resignation after the Malaysia people swap debacle and who finally admitted that the failed plan wouldn’t work when he endorsed Kevin Rudd’s efforts to return to the leadership this week.

“Chris Bowen has presided over billions in border budget blow outs, the East Timor farce, riots and chaos in immigration detention, opened thousands more immigration detention beds – all in just 18 months.

“Today’s decision by the Prime Minister means the Coalition remains the only party that will restore strong border protection policies to stop illegal boats arriving.

“The only people who can trust this Prime Minister on border protection are the people smugglers,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Labor's bungling of solar rebate puts Shire jobs at risk and residents out of pocket

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Gillard Government has pulled the rug out from Shire solar hot water businesses, putting local jobs at risk and residents out of pocket by suddenly and without warning scrapping the solar hot water rebate, Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison said today.

“This sudden end to the solar hot water rebate is just the latest in a series of broken promises by Julia Gillard. Just like with the carbon tax, Australians are once again realising that this Prime Minister can’t be trusted,” Mr Morrison said.

“The Labor Government has demonstrated its complete lack of regard for Shire business and workers by engaging in this economic vandalism,” he said.

“Shire business owners need to be able to plan for the future with confidence. By ending this rebate without warning Julia Gillard is creating uncertainty for local business and jobs.

“Shire residents and families who were planning to take advantage of the rebate will now either ditch their plans for solar hot water or be further out of pocket.

“It is just the latest example of an incompetent, dysfunctional, shambolic government at work.

“Whether it’s the bungled home insulation scheme, the green loans scheme or live exports, it has shut down programs and industries without notice or consultation.

“These actions have put workers out of jobs and businesses at risk of financial ruin.

“To make matters worse Labor will also hit solar hot water businesses with the world’s biggest carbon tax that will immediately increase costs.

“The Coalition understands that governments must provide the certainty they need to make investments, create jobs and expand. That’s why when Parliament resumes the Coalition will introduce a Private Members Motion to require the Government to commit to the remaining funding for the scheme,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Crime Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Crime Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011

Thursday 1st March 2012

I rise to speak in this second reading debate on the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011. On some indulgence in addressing the matters before us today, given that today is the 150th anniversary of the New South Wales Police Force, I would like to make a few remarks about that anniversary.

As the proud son of a retired police officer—I recognise also here the member for Fowler and the member for McArthur—I know only too well the sacrifice of those who wear the blue in New South Wales. It is a distinguished service. It is populated by brave men and women who put themselves in harm's way on a daily basis for us. For that reason I think they hold a very special place in our community.

I commend the 15,993 police officers currently serving in the New South Wales Police Force. I particularly want to recognise the 150 officers who are attached to the Miranda Local Area Command with Superintendent Greg Antonjuk, as well as Superintendent Dave Donohue from the Sutherland Local Area Command. Both the Sutherland Local Area Command and the Miranda Local Area Command look after our shire community.

On this very important day 150 years ago, 800 officers were combined into a single police force in New South Wales. It was probably one of the toughest states in which to be a police officer—certainly back then, 150 years ago. That job has remained tough and dangerous ever since.

I particularly want to pay tribute to Commissioner Andrew Scipione. In my time I have not come across a finer man than Commissioner Scipione. He is an extraordinarily talented, gifted but gracious individual who has done an outstanding job as the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force. It was one of his initiatives to call the New South Wales Police Force by that name. My father, in particular, was incredibly pleased when that decision was taken, because it is a force. We need a force in our communities to combat the insidious nature of crime that would seek to rob the property, lives and liberties of our citizens. So it is incredibly important that we recognise the contribution of those who have done so much in this area.

Commissioner Scipione has probably done more than any other commissioner to lift the level of integrity within the New South Wales Police Force—only exceeding the efforts of Commissioner Avery, many years ago. I pay tribute to Commissioner Scipione and I pay tribute to Minister Mike Gallacher, and the work that he is doing in that area, but most importantly I acknowledge the work of the good and faithful officers of the New South Wales Police Force. I also want to acknowledge their families. Being a police officer is tough, and it is tough on families. Police officers find it difficult to deal with the things they see every day, and it is almost impossible not to bring that back home. They do everything they can, I think, to shield their families from the things that they have to deal with every day. For that they pay a very high emotional price.

It is important that we acknowledge that they are not only protecting community members but also trying to protect their families, and their family life, from the impact of what they have to deal with on a daily basis. I know that that was something my father did on a daily basis. I remember particularly the day that my father, who was working for the CIB at the time as a fingerprint expert, had to attend the scene at the Luna Park fires. On that occasion there were a number of young boys who had perished in those fires. They were all from my local community and they were the same age as my brother and I. My father had to go to that scene and identify the bodies. They are the things police officers have to do. It is a tough job. We commend them here in this place.

But to the matter of the bill, I rise to speak in support of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011. The proposed amendments are far-reaching. They span a range of scenarios and issues faced by our law enforcement agencies, from forensics and DNA testing to illicit drugs to parole conditions and the proceeds of crime. This bill goes to the heart of policing and the way our nation manages the issues of crime and justice.
Fundamentally, this bill deals with the axis of crime, punishment and jurisprudence, and where these areas inevitably overlap this bill seeks to rationalise the intersecting roles, responsibilities and capabilities of law enforcement agencies across all levels and jurisdictions of governance.

I echo the disappointment of my colleague, the member for Stirling, that the report of the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has sat in this place for less than 24 hours before this debate has been brought into this parliament, but on this side of the chamber we get fairly used to the chaotic nature with which bills are often addressed.
The areas that this bill seeks to address are very serious and do require full, careful consideration by all parties concerned. That said, though, the coalition does support the measures that would enhance the capacity of our law enforcement agencies to do their job to the best of their ability. The one thing we can do in this place to support those who put themselves at risk is to ensure they have the laws and they have the support to back them up.

We support the aims of this bill to enhance and empower our law enforcement agencies as they seek to combat crime. The coalition will support the amendments to this bill, as per the recommendations of the House standing committee, but I understand we will be rejecting recommendation 8. I also understand from the comments by the member for Stirling that the additional amendments that the government has sought to move now would also be supported by the coalition.
In government, the coalition provided more than $65 million over four years to fund the National Community Care Crime Prevention Program. That was abolished by this government. They installed in its place the Safer Suburbs program, with a meagre $15 million over three years—less than a quarter of the funding. The AFP is also no stranger to funding cuts. Labor slashed more than $23 million from the operating budget of the Australian Federal Police in 2011-12 at a time when their services are in great need. Not only have we noticed that in the general community but we know of the demands placed on the Australian Federal Police as we have gone through the conduct of our detention inquiry over recent months. There are demands upon our Australian Federal Police and they need our support to do the job with which they have been tasked.

Customs has also suffered under this government's incompetence. In addition to 250 jobs being cut by Labor in the 2010-11 budget, another 90 staff have been shown the door. In the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook it was revealed that an estimated $35 million would be cut from Customs over the forward estimates.

These decisions serve to fundamentally overstretch and critically undermine the capacity of Australia's key frontline crime enforcement agencies. I acknowledge that there is a new Minister for Home Affairs in the chair. I know him well; he is a good friend of mine. I would hope that he will significantly better the performance of his predecessor in this role, and I think one of the things he will be judged upon will be his ability to ensure that these agencies get the resources they need to do the job, which was done so appallingly by his predecessor. But I look forward with hope to the opportunity that there will be a reward for the Australia Customs and Border Protection Service and the Australian Federal Police from the activities of the new minister.

It is on top of this record and against this concerning backdrop that these matters are before us today. The bill is about consolidated law—removing obstacles like jurisdictional difficulties and legal loopholes, and overcoming barriers to information sharing to enable our law enforcement officers to do their job to the best of their ability and ensure they have access to the intelligence, resources, cooperative tools and legal protections they need to perform their role. This bill builds upon discussions and constructive dialogue that has taken place for some years, adding further insult to injury when you consider that years of debate and constructive investigation of these matters has now come in such a rushed manner towards us today.

But the bill does raise valid amendments and it is worth reflecting briefly on these. One of the key issues addressed in the bill is the collection and use of DNA forensic material. As science moves in leaps and bounds, there is a need—but, more than that, a responsibility—for us to keep up. As policing incorporates and relies more heavily on forensic testing—a world away from the forensic procedures and technologies that were available when my father was involved in these sorts of things many years ago—we need to keep up. It is imperative that the legal parameters within which our organisations operate are clearly defined, up to date, accessible and consolidated.

It is also critical, in short, that there is consistency across our various jurisdictions and that we are all on the same page. This bill will increase the transparency and reduce the complexity that surrounds procedures governing the collection, use and analysis of DNA material. It brings clarity. The amendments go towards reducing the inconsistencies that currently exist between the Crimes Act and the legislation in the states and territories. Furthermore, some of the amendments are concerned with reclassifying the methods used—for example, defining a blood sample as a prick-to-the-finger test. This bill also strives to bolster the capacity of the Australian Crime Commission to share information and intelligence with agencies across all tiers of law enforcement from Commonwealth, state and territory agencies to internal enforcement and intelligence bodies. This is critically important, because what we have learned over many years is that the better we can manage, capture, share and analyse data, the better chance we have of focusing our efforts on getting the crooks. That is something that our police are tasked with on our behalf every day. The opportunity to share this information and share its analysis and target our efforts will, I think, yield a significant dividend, not just in the area of policing but, more broadly, in the security responsibilities that we have as a national parliament and that the government has as an executive.

We are talking here about things that will put right these matters. The Australian Crime Commission has been forced to cut staff numbers from 688 to 556. That is almost 20 per cent. Another 100 officers seconded to the union from state and territory police forces have been returned home. Over the forward estimates for the ACC, Labor has cut more than eight per cent. On the issue of crime prevention, Labor's record also speaks volumes.

These amendments would also permit the chief executive officer of the Crime Commission to share information with the private sector under certain circumstances, which is a worthy measure that is deemed necessary and appropriate. As with any organisation, transparency and accountability is a must, and that need could hardly be more pressing than in the area of crime prevention and law enforcement. This amendment will provide the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity with a contempt power, as well as enhancing the commission's ability to investigate corruption. The crux of this is to act as a deterrent for uncooperative witnesses and, where they arise, provide a quick and potent mechanism for the integrity commissioner to handle the situation and deal with it accordingly.

Furthermore, there are measures in this bill that aim to combat new and illicit substances that, sadly, have crept onto Australian streets with devastating consequences, substances like meow meow and Special K. As a father of two young girls—they are under five—I shudder to think what they will be exposed to by the time they enter their teenage years. Sadly, those threats, I am sure, will present themselves even before their teenage years. Staying on top of the quick movement of this is something that I will support strongly in this House. The amendment will clearly articulate the additional drug substances and quantities to be subject to the full range of Commonwealth serious drug offences. This bill should assist our Customs and Border Protection Service in intercepting and seizing illicit drugs detected at the Australian border, by overcoming an existing legal anomaly, allowing customs officers to seize all illicit drugs regardless of whether they are proscribed under customs regulations or the Criminal Code. Again, this goes to consolidation and consistencies. Our law enforcement agencies, officers in the Customs And Border Protection Service and the AFP perform a tremendous job under difficult circumstances, and it is important that we ensure that the law is there to support the work they do. This bill also makes amendments to Commonwealth parole. At present there is no ability to refuse parole to a federal offender who is serving a sentence of imprisonment of less than 10 years even if corrective services believe that the offender should not be granted parole. This bill's amendments will allow the release on parole of all federal offenders to become a discretionary decision consistent with the approach currently taken by the states and territories on the granting of parole. At present the maximum parole supervision for federal sentences other than life imprisonment is just three years.

This is a worthy bill. While it has been rushed into this place, it is an opportunity on this special day to recognise what is taking place even as we speak in New South Wales with the special march in the city of Sydney. Today is a day for police officers to stand tall and proud in New South Wales as they can all around the country. It is a day when their families can celebrate their service along with all the citizens of New South Wales and all of those who support their good works.

Media Release : Labor votes against their own Malaysia legislation

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Labor Government’s hollow rhetoric on border protection was exposed again today when they voted against having an immediate vote on their Malaysia people swap legislation, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“In the parliament today the Opposition moved a motion to have the Government’s changes to the Migration Act, to enable their Malaysian people swap, to be debated and voted on. The Government voted against the motion, refusing to test the confidence of the parliament on yet another policy failure,” Mr Morrison said.

“Minister Bowen had failed to bring the legislation back into the Parliament as he promised to do last December. Now when faced with the opportunity to bring it on he squibbed it yet again,” he said.

“Last week, resigned Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said he hadn’t even been consulted on the Malaysia plan, that it ‘didn’t work’ and that the Prime Minister had been walking ‘on the policy wild side’ on border protection.

“Minister Bowen was so impressed by Mr Rudd’s repudiation of the Malaysian people swap that he voted for him to depose Julia Gillard as Prime Minister.

“The Malaysian people swap is nothing more than a political tactic.

“Labor’s only response to record boat arrivals is to blame Tony Abbott and embrace the Greens.

“Given the choice between the Coalition’s proven border polices and the Greens, Labor chose the Greens policy of releasing all asylum seekers into the community with benefit payments, free housing, home starter packages of up to $10,000 and even work rights. No wonder we’ve had the biggest summer of boat arrivals ever.

“Blaming Tony Abbott is not a policy. Blaming Tony Abbott will not stop the boats. The Government can immediately reopen Nauru and restore temporary protection visas. They won’t because they don’t believe in strong border protection. They never have and never will,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Motion to bring on vote for Malaysian People Swap Legislation

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Motion to bring on vote for Malaysian People Swap Legislation

Tuesday 28th February 2012

Mr MORRISON (Cook) (15:22): Mr Speaker, I second the motion. Standing orders must be suspended because this Prime Minister refuses to bring into this place a debate and a vote on her policy, in this bill, in the same way she refuses to stand before the Australian people and face an election. This is a Prime Minister who has so little confidence in her own policies and in her own minister that she refuses to have the bill that she boldly said should be voted upon, and that the names for every vote on this bill should be recorded in this place. As the Leader of the Opposition has just said, five months have passed since she said that and there is still no debate or vote in this House.

This is the same bill that the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, after the Labor conference in Sydney, said that he would reintroduce. It is not on the Notice Paper; it has not been on the paper; and he has not even asked for it to be put on the paper because this minister, through this bill, does not want to test the confidence of this House in his failures as Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

There are four key reasons why this government does not want this bill to be debated and why we need to suspend standing orders. The first is that the government is in denial. This is a government that is in denial about its own weak border policies. Almost 16,000 people have arrived on 286 boats since this government abolished the proven measures of the Howard government. Since this Prime Minister was appointed, not elected, 8,500 people have turned up on 131 boats. She said she was going to smash the people smugglers' business model. Well, they have made $80 million on her watch with 8,500 people turning up over the term of her Prime Ministership. What have taxpayers had to foot the bill for while people smugglers on her watch have made $80 million? They have had to foot the bill for blowouts of $3.9 billion. This is a Prime Minister who has put more beds into detention centres than she has put in public hospitals—that is her record. That is why she does not want to come into this place with her failed plan and test that confidence in this House.

Another reason we need to suspend standing orders is that this government does not want to blow apart the fact that they are misleading Australians about the choices before them. In the bill, that could be brought to this House and voted on today, there is the opportunity for the government to choose between two paths. They can choose the proven path of the coalition or they can choose the measures of the Greens. We know what they have done. They would like you to believe they have no choice and they have to walk away from offshore processing. It is not true. They had a choice. They can choose the Greens' path or the proven path of the coalition. There has been a lot of talk about the Prime Minister's numbers but we in this place all know one thing—the Greens have this Prime Minister's number. They have it every single day because that is the path she went down when given the choice. That is why standing orders need to be suspended.

The third point is that Labor lacks support from themselves for their own bill. The Leader of the Opposition has already said that there are a lot of nervous backbenchers over there, for a whole range of reasons. There are certainly backbenchers nervous about their support for this bill. We already know that there are members who have spoken out against this bill, but it was the former foreign minister, the resigned Minister for Foreign Affairs, who told us plainly that he was not consulted on the Malaysian people swap and that it did not work. He described the Prime Minister's policy frolics on border protection as 'walking on the policy wild side'. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship was so convinced by the former foreign minister's arguments on this that he decided to vote for him in the caucus. He decided to vote, effectively, against his own Malaysian people swap to try to make the former foreign minister the Prime Minister and see this Malaysian people swap farce put to an end. My question is: it is no wonder why he will not bring this bill to this House. He will not bring the bill to the House because why should this House support it when he clearly does not support it either, in the way that he supported the former foreign minister's condemnation of it.

Finally, this government refuses to do this because they are interested in excuses, not answers. It was revealed by the former foreign minister that it was the Prime Minister who said to him about his failed ETS that the best way to handle it was to do nothing, leave it on the table and blame Tony Abbott. That is exactly what she is now doing with this bill. The Prime Minister needs to understand that when it comes to border protection policies, blaming the opposition is not an answer, it is an excuse. The Australian people are sick to death of the excuses of this government. They expect governments to protect their borders. They expect governments to act. The only thing that can bring about a real change in border protection policy in this place is if there is a change of government and the proven policies of the Howard government can be restored.

Media Release : Typhoid cases on latest boats highlight the risk of Labor's border failures

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The confirmation of two cases of typhoid for asylum seekers on recent illegal boat arrivals to Christmas Island highlights again the risks and consequences of Labor’s failed border protection policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“When illegal boats turn up in our waters there will always be the risk that people on these boats will carry serious communicable diseases. The more boats there are, the greater the risk of serious diseases presenting,” Mr Morrison said.

“Last year there were 56 cases of communicable disease from those who had arrived on illegal boats. These cases included everything from Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C to Chlamydia and Syphilis. These latest cases have now added typhoid to the list,” he said.

“Of greatest immediate concern is the risk to Australians living on Christmas Island, including children attending the local schools, as well those who come in direct contact with asylum seekers including our defence forces, Customs and border protection officers, federal police, detention centre workers, health professionals and immigration staff.

“These Australians have been living on the front line of Labor’s failed border protection for the past four years.

“Despite the best efforts of our health professionals and other officials responsible for dealing with these situations, there are no guarantees that the arrival of people carrying these diseases could not lead to an outbreak on Christmas Island or the transfer of these diseases to the mainland. This is the risk of failed border protection policy.

“In the past three months more than 2,100 people have turned up on 26 illegal boats. This is the highest number of arrivals over summer on record and 50% more than Labor’s previous record two year ago.

“Labor’s largest ever summer of boats followed their decision to introduce mainstream release of asylum seekers into the community, with support payments, free housing and set up packages worth up to $10,000.

“As long as Labor’s soft policies on our borders continue, these boats will continue to arrive along with the risks they carry, including people with serious communicable diseases,” Mr Morrison said.

The following communicable diseases were detected in immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island from 1 July 2010 to 6 May 2011 –

Diagnosis - Total
Chlamydia - 4
Dengue - 2
Gonorrhoea - 1
Hepatitis B - 10
Hepatitis C - 3
Malaria - 1
Pertussis - 1
Shingles - 3
Syphilis - 29
Tetanus - 1
Tuberculosis
(active) - 1
Grand Total 56
Source: Question on Notice, 11/12 Budget Estimates (BE11/0615)

Speech : Transcript - 6PR Drive program

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 6PR Drive program

Monday 27th February 2012

Subjects: typhoid outbreak on Christmas Island, Labor’s leadership crisis, Mark Arbib

EandOE

SATTLER:
Two cases of typhoid, yes typhoid have surfaced among groups of people taken to Christmas Island off one of those asylum seeker illegal boats and the news just through and I will confirm this with Scott Morrison, the Shadow Immigration Minister they are not crew, they are not Indonesians Scott they are actually people who are boat people.

MORRISON:
Yeah I understand the department confirmed that late today that the cases of typhoid which – we have seen all sorts of communicable diseases come on these boats – everything from syphilis to gonorrhea through to Hep C and Hep B and tuberculous. We haven’t seen typhoid for some time and these have come off the boats and from some of the asylum seekers. This is just another part of the risk that goes when you have got soft borders. This is what happens. People getting on these boats – that’s not a surprise and when you have so many boats come, well the risk obviously goes up.

SATTLER:
With all those communicable diseases is there a risk for the folks on Christmas Island?

MORRISON:
Well that is true and the immediate concern is very much for everyone on Christmas Island. As you know there are around 1,000 longer term residents and people who live there and you have got many more who are working there. You have the defence forces, Customs officers and everything from the interpreters through to immigration officials who are in direct contact. You have the kids who go to the school. Now I have no doubt that all of the officials will do all of the things they have to do to ensure that this doesn’t lead to an outbreak and worse, doesn’t get to the mainland but if there are no boats with people coming on them there is no one turning up with these diseases.

SATTLER:
So anything could come here?

MORRISON:
Well of course it could. I mean there is no sort of quarantine they go through to get on an illegal boat. That is the nature of this. There are so many reasons why this needs to be stopped and after today we have the Labor Party tearing themselves apart in Canberra and on our borders we have this going on and that is not going to change because what happened in Canberra today changes nothing on our borders and I put that question directly to the Prime Minister and she is not going to change a thing.

SATTLER:
So for how long would these people have been on the island before it was actually diagnosed?

MORRISON:
I would have hoped and I would think they would have picked it up relatively quickly because of the screening that goes once they come on board.

SATTLER:
Yeah but you get on the Customs boat so you are with the crew of the Customs boat…

MORRISON:
Yes that’s right.

SATTLER:
You come on the wharf, I suppose there are other officials there. Then you go to the asylum detention centre so you meet other people there, then you get tested.

MORRISON:
This is all true. Unless they have been able to pick it up on the Customs vessel or the naval vessel…

SATTLER:
How would they pick that up?

MORRISON:
Well they would have medical people on board Howard but there is no guarantee of that and that’s my point. There is no guarantee that any of this can be contained. This is a genuine and real risk. There were 56 cases of communicable diseases on the boats from 1 July 2010 to 30 May 2011 – so not even a 12 month period so this happens fairly regularly. Sometimes it is less severe illnesses but still communicable and sometimes it is typhoid and TB and things of this nature.

SATTLER:
As you said, kids go to the schools on Christmas Island so they can pick it up from their parents or their relatives and then take it on to the island, out of the detention centre onto the island.

MORRISON:
That’s right people get on planes, they come back to see family. These are the risks. I am not seeking to alarm anybody, there are procedures in place which I hope would be followed but if there is no one turning up there is no risk to manage.

SATTLER:
What about your opponent? Is he going to keep his job, Chris Bowen?

MORRISON:
Well maybe the punishment…

SATTLER:
Because he supported Kevin Rudd didn’t he?

MORRISON:
Yeah he did and he said basically Julia Gillard couldn’t win an election. I will leave that to Chris to defend and argue for but maybe the punishment he will be given is to stay in the immigration portfolio because he still hasn’t cleaned up the mess he has made there and heaven help us if he is let loose on our nation’s finances or runs the defence forces or something else. He has made a complete hash of things in immigration and…

SATTLER:
Didn’t Kevin Rudd oppose the Malaysian solution?

MORRISON:
Well he did. Last week he said he had nothing to do with it and it didn’t work. I find it amazing that Chris Bowen would have then backed someone in who wanted to abolish the thing that he said would work.

SATTLER:
Maybe he doesn’t believe it will.

MORRISON:
Well you have got to ask yourself that question. He sits there lecturing the Opposition that we should be supporting it and he just voted for someone who wanted to abolish it. So go figure. The Labor Party is a complete mess. The only person who really had the numbers today in that contest was Bob Brown and the Greens. He has had the numbers with this government the whole way.

SATTLER:
We played his grab. He almost made a slip and said they were just getting on with the business of running government.

MORRISON:
That’s right, he is the real Prime Minister. He is the one who is really calling the shots and what happened today does not change that one bit and certainly on our borders. They have adopted wholus bolus the Greens policies. We talked about that last time with the community release scheme and the biggest summer of boats on record.

SATTLER:
How did Kevin take to the backbench today?

MORRISON:
Look, I think his mood today was a bit different to what it was 18 months ago but the whole thing has been a farce and a sick joke and the Australian people have every right to be utterly appalled with the way they have carried on and now they are running around today pretending nothing happened.

SATTLER:
They are all buddies again aren’t they?

MORRISON:
Anyone who believes that would I think believe that Julia Gillard knows how to tell the truth on the carbon tax. That’s clearly absurd. This government has not changed one of its spots. It is still being run by the same people and that is bad news for Australia. A carbon tax is coming, it is bad news on our borders, for our jobs so nothing changes.

SATTLER:
Well straying a little bit from your portfolio, what was the reading of Mark Arbib pulling the pin? What’s the reason for that?

MORRISON:
Well look I will take these things on face value. He says he has done this for family reasons…

SATTLER:
He has only been there four years.

MORRISON:
Yeah well he came in just after I did actually. I don’t really want to make a comment on that Howard, if he says it is for family reasons I will respect that.

SATTLER:
Because he was one of her supporters wasn’t he?

MORRISON:
He supported Julia Gillard and he was the one who was part of the faceless crew that got rid of Kevin Rudd.

SATTLER:
So he wouldn’t have lost his portfolio?

MORRISON:
I doubt that but that is a matter for him and I will let the Labor Party explain that. It is unstable, it is dysfunctional, it is a rabble and by contrast we are united, ready to fix Labor’s mess. The only thing we are missing is an election. The only people who got to have a vote on who the Prime Minister should be today were people siting in a closed room in the Labor Party, not 14 million Australians who really should decide this question.

SATTLER:
She is not going to the polls anytime soon Scott I can tell you that.

MORRISON:
I don’t think she is and the independents who put her there are going to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.

SATTLER:
Well they are losing their jobs too if we go to the polls.

MORRISON:
They are the ones who decided to put her in and they need to take responsibility along with her for the mess that has followed. It is a dysfunctional mess. Australians deserve a better government, they deserve an election and they deserve it now.

SATTLER:
Thanks for your time.

MORRISON:
Thanks a lot Howard.

END

Media Release : Rudd labels Malaysian people swap a failure

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Resigned Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, said Labor’s Malaysian people swap was a failure today, while announcing his intention to contest the Labor leadership next Monday, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said.

“Kevin Rudd’s admission that the Malaysian people swap didn’t work has exposed the fraud being perpetuated by his key Cabinet backer Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and Prime Minister Gillard, who continue to promote this policy failure, rather than restore the proven measures of the Howard Government, as every new boat arrives,” Mr Morrison said.

“Julia Gillard is using the same political tactic with her failed Malaysian people swap as she advised Kevin Rudd to do with his failed CPRS - to do nothing, leave it on the table and blame Tony Abbott.

“Mr Rudd said as Foreign Minister he had no part in the Malaysian people swap and later referred to it as a failure, along with the Prime Minister’s failed East Timor processing centre,” he said.

Kevin Rudd on East Timor and Malaysia -

“I also have always had the view that something called the East Timor solution wouldn’t work and can I say those sort of things should be looked at very carefully before you simply take a walk on the policy wild side and you find that other governments may not necessarily concur.

“…It wasn’t KRudd who had anything to do with the East Timor solution or the Malaysia Solution. These were initiatives and decisions taken uniquely by the Prime Minister.”

“ who is responsible for the government’s poor standing? … decisions which were taken – in my absence often – and then announced and implemented, often without my knowledge, in the case of various decisions, like the Malaysia Solution for example and then off they went only to discover they didn’t work.”

Mr Morrison said: “This is a dysfunctional Government. The revelation by Mr Rudd that as Foreign Minister he was not consulted on the Malaysian people swap shows just how much a shoddy and cobbled together arrangement this was – yet another walk on the policy wild side.

“After a record summer of boats, with more than 2,100 people arriving, Labor continues to refuse to restore the Howard Government’s proven policies of reopening Nauru and reintroducing temporary protection visas.

“Instead, Julia Gillard has recycled an old political tactic of trying to keep her failed Malaysian people swap alive, just as she did for months and months with her failed and abandoned East Timor processing centre.

“The Malaysian people swap is being used as an excuse by Minister Bowen to do nothing and to blame the opposition for the Government’s own border protection failings, of which Kevin Rudd was the original architect.

“Mr Rudd remained unrepentant and in denial on his own central role in Labor’s border protection failings.

“Whatever the result in Labor’s leadership ballot, the people smugglers will once again be the winners,” Mr Morrison said.

Media Release : Australia's biggest ever summer of illegal boats as two more arrive

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The arrival of two more illegal boats with almost 200 people on board has made this the biggest summer of illegal boats on record, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“These latest arrivals mean that so far this summer 2,186 people have arrived on 26 illegal boats, the highest level of illegal boat arrivals over a summer on record,” Mr Morrison said.

“On the eve of this record summer season of illegal boats, Labor announced their new policy for community release of asylum seekers, effectively ending mandatory detention,” he said.

“The message of Labor’s welcome mat policy, complete with welfare payments, work rights, rent free homes and $10,000 start up packages, has certainly gotten through, even in the midst of the dangerous monsoon season.

“With the arrival of these latest boats, Labor has marked the half way point of their term with 8,500 people turning up on 131 boats since the last election.

“Labor has lost control of our borders and themselves. Their only response as every boat arrives on their watch is to blame others for their failures. Labor has no proven policies on stopping the boats, just excuses and denial,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “Eight boats in seven days – each carrying a large number of people – is a further sign that people smugglers continue to take advantage of the absence of any border protection regime in Australia.

“Labor Ministers are completely consumed by their own internal feuding and have no opportunity to take the necessary decisions that will be required to change this.

“It is plain to everyone except Julia Gillard, Chris Bowen and Jason Clare that we need to change course and that our porous borders and weak policies will continue to encourage people smuggling.

“The Australian people deserve a government that is actually on the job, not this continuing soap opera that will lead to further illegal boat arrivals and massive costs to the taxpayer,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Labor's envy taxes continue with attack on Shire non-government schools

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Fresh from its abandonment of private health insurance, Labor have now turned their sights on Shire families who send their children to non government schools by winding back funding and choice for parents for their children’s education, Local Federal Member for Cook, Scott Morrison said today.

“Julia Gillard has put parents and children at local non government schools in their sights by raising the prospect of a means test for non government schools as the latest instalment in Labor’s ideological pursuit of the politics of envy,” Mr Morrison said.

“The education proposals now being considered by Labor set the scene for this means testing, placing all Shire non-government schools on an independent school Labor hit-list. This is bad news for families already struggling with higher cost of living pressures under this distracted, divided and dysfunctional government,” he said.

“Labor’s attacks on choice, be it on private health insurance or now non government schools, are about punishing Shire families for Labor’s own spending blowouts and financial mismanagement that have delivered the four biggest budget deficits in Australia‘s history and forced the Government to be borrowing around $100 million every day.

“The proposals may also affect local public schools where parents and local communities are successful in raising additional funds for their school.

“The Shire has some of the most effective and active parents and citizens groups in the country. They commit countless hours to raise extra funds to support their children’s education in local public schools. Under the proposals being favourably considered by Labor, parents and local communities could be penalised by their school, being denied additional funding because of their fundraising efforts.

“Labor’s prospective envy tax on non government schools, their private health insurance tax and the carbon tax mean Shire families and residents will pay more to cover the Government’s policy failures.

“While Labor wants to start a class war on education, the Coalition is committed to maintaining a funding balance that supports parent’s choice on education for their children. This includes indexing payments to private schools, worth over $4 billion, something the Labor Party has failed to commit to.

“There is now a clear choice on education policy for Shire families. The Coalition supports choice and private investment in education, while Labor’s policies will mean ongoing uncertainty for schools and higher school fees for parents,” Mr Morrison said.

Speech : Transcript - 2GB Drive program

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2GB Drive program

Wednesday 22nd February 2012

Subjects: Latest illegal boat arrivals, biggest summer of boats on record, divided and distracted Labor Government

EandOE

FORDHAM:

Two more boats have been intercepted in Australian waters today carrying about 100 people on each. Now this comes after 140 people were picked up Monday morning. Now listen to this – the number of boats to hit our shores in the last week is now eight - in the last seven days - carrying a total of, have a guess, 760 people. This is in the last week. Now we have asked the government to come on and talk about this this afternoon, they are ducking for cover. The Shadow Immigration Minister is on the line. Scott Morrison, g’day.

MORRISON:

G’day Ben

FORDHAM:

760 in seven days?

MORRISON:

Well that’s right. It is par for the course under this government but even more significantly this has been the biggest summer of illegal boats on record. There have been 2,186 people turn up over the most dangerous summer months and that eclipses the 1,400 who turned up in 09/10 under this government and double what happened last year. This government has lost control of their borders and lost control of themselves.

FORDHAM:

Ok, we have known that for some time. You now say that we are at record breaking territory, particularly over the summer period, this strikes me that this adds a whole other element with what is going on in the moment between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. We remember the night that Julia Gillard went into Kevin Rudd’s office and he then called a press conference and said ‘look, I am warning about a lurch to the right on asylum seekers’. Rudd wanted to go soft, she said she would go hard and of course every attempt to go hard has failed, in East Timor and Malaysia.

MORRISON:

She has gone nowhere.

FORDHAM:

She has gone nowhere however surely there is an opportunity for Julia Gillard to say this afternoon to go out and say - ‘well we have had 760 people in seven days so if we reopen Nauru immediately’, doesn’t that jam Kevin Rudd because he still is on the soft side and she can appeal to those who want a harder response?

MORRISON:

Well I think that is a good analysis Ben. We have been calling on the government to reopen Nauru, restore temporary protection visas and all our policies for years and they have refused to do it. One thing they have always refused to acknowledge is it was Kevin Rudd’s decision to abolish the Howard Government measures that got us here in the first place.

FORDHAM:

She could call a press conference and say ‘listen, let’s stop beating around the bush here, I have been loyal to Kevin Rudd, Kevin Rudd stuffed this whole policy and that’s why this whole thing has happened, I have been struggling to rescue it ever since, Kevin Rudd is to blame for this whole thing and I am calling it right now, I am reopening Nauru’. A lot of the Labor backbenchers who are swinging at the moment between the two of them, she would gain a lot more of them immediately because they realise it is a hot button issue.

MORRISON:

Well it is sad that if she ever did that she would be only doing it to save her own political neck rather than actually doing it because it needed to be done. I think that is where this government has a big problem but she made this problem just as bad, if not worse. Just before the summer began the government announced their community release policy. They fully went the full hog with the Greens, this is the policy where you get work rights, free rent, $10,000 starter package, all of this. That was announced just before the summer and over the summer we have had over 2,000 people turn up, so clearly the message of that policy has gotten through. It is a further softening of what Kevin Rudd started four years ago. Frankly, it doesn’t matter who is running their shop, it is a mess and changing the leader or whatever I don’t think will change that. The people smugglers have the measure of both of them.

FORDHAM:

Scott Morrison thank you.

MORRISON:

Thanks Ben.

END

Media Release : Labor's welcome mat policies drive surge in boat arrivals

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 147 people on board, means almost 1,000 people have arrived so far this year, more than three times the 326 who arrived in the same period last year, as people smugglers respond to Labor’s welcome mat for boat arrivals, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Ever since the Labor Government completely gave up on border protection and embraced the Greens policies of community release in November last year, the rate of arrivals has increased even more,” Mr Morrison said.

“Under Labor’s community release policy, the number of people arriving by boat is almost double the rate of arrivals following the government’s abandonment of their Malaysia Solution legislation in the Parliament.

“People smugglers are responding in force to Labor’s welcome mat approach to illegal boat arrivals, with boat arrivals now surging as the monsoon season passes.

“Labor have not only lost control of our borders, they have now lost control of themselves.

“A distracted and divided Labor Government that can’t trust itself can’t be trusted to protect our borders. Labor are locked in denial and division, their only response is to seek to blame others for their policy failings, while refusing to restore the policies that worked,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “A Labor Party at war with itself will never be able to make the tough but necessary decisions required to secure Australia’s borders.

“As the Gillard Labor Government remains paralysed the people smugglers understand it is open season to Australia.

“The frequency and scale of illegal arrivals over the past week is evidence the people smugglers will take advantage of the chaos engulfing the Government to pursue their evil trade.

“Tackling this requires a coherent response that shows purpose and resolve to stop the trade. Does anyone believe that the current Parliamentary Labor Party is capable of that?” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Labor loses control of our borders and themselves as another illegal boat arrives

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The arrival of the sixth illegal boat in a week, with 81 people on board, shows people smugglers continuing to take advantage as the Government remains divided, distracted and dysfunctional, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.

“Labor has lost control of our borders, our budget and themselves. A government that can’t trust itself can’t be trusted by the Australian people to protect our borders or anything else,” Mr Morrison said.

“The only business model this government has broken is their own with their incompetence as they rip themselves apart over the Labor leadership. Meanwhile the people smugglers’ business model is thriving as yet another boat arrives,” he said.

“This is a government whose only policy is to blame Tony Abbott for a mess of their own creation. This is not a policy, it's just another excuse for Labor to embrace the policies of the Greens, as they have done.

“Labor should swallow their pride and simply restore the Coalition's proven policies they abolished,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Keenan said: “It has been made clear to the Australian people that this dysfunctional and divided Labor Government have completely lost control of our borders with the arrival of the sixth boat in a week.

“As a result of the Gillard Government’s complete incompetence in producing a border protection policy they have opened the flood gates to the people smugglers. Instead of working hard to solve this crisis of their own making we have an Immigration Minister who is too preoccupied with his job application for Treasurer and a Prime Minister constantly defending her own leadership,” he said.

“Until this Labor Government can sort out their own internal conflicts how are they ever going to be able to provide the Australian people with some semblance of a border protection policy? It is time for the Gillard Government to restore the Coalition’s proven policies and stop taking an axe to the severely under resourced Customs and Border Protection Command.

“The sad reality is that taxpayers are the ones bearing the costs for the government’s reckless spending and they will continue to until the Coalition comes to Government at the next election,” Mr Keenan said.

Media Release : Another boat arrival, another Labor budget blowout

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

“The arrival of two more boats carrying 136 people will only add further pressure on the growing blowouts in Labor's asylum budget that is now costing taxpayers more than $1 billion per year”, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison, and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection Michael Keenan said today.

Mr Morrison said: “More than 450 people have arrived in the past week on illegal boats throwing into chaos the Government's already blown budget. Senate estimates was told this week that their budget assumes 450 people arriving every month, not every week.

“These latest arrivals mean that 15,352 people have now arrived on 282 boats since Kevin Rudd abolished John Howard's proven border protection regime. During this time Labor's asylum budget has blown out by almost $4billion, with a blowout of $2.4 billion since the last election.

“Labor's soft policies are encouraging people to get on boats, putting themselves at great risk and costing the taxpayer dearly at a time we can least afford it.

“The Australian people are sick of Chris Bowen's excuses. Blaming Tony Abbott is not a policy to stop the boats, it's a cop out from a failed Minister looking for his own exit strategy from the immigration portfolio.

“Only the Coalition has a proven plan to stop the boats and stop the blowouts. Chris Bowen's response is to blame Tony Abbott, embrace the Greens and 'do a runner'.

“With the arrival of another 2 boats, carrying 136 alleged asylum seekers, the overstretched and under resourced Australian Customs and Border Protection Service have been placed under even further strain with no relief offered from this incompetent Gillard Labor Government,” Mr Keenan said.

“As we heard in the Senate Estimates hearing this week, Customs is under enormous strain and is having to cut staff in critical areas to help the Labor Government patch up their Budget deficit,” he said.

“Customs and Border Protection have been left to intercept four boats in less than two days , forcing the hardworking Border Protection officers to work beyond operational capacity and the Coalition is becoming increasingly concerned for their wellbeing,” Mr Keenan said.

“With this constant and consistent influx of boat arrivals it is obvious that the people smugglers are seeking to take advantage of a Labor Government that is floundering and navel-gazing with constant leadership speculation and catastrophic incompetence when it comes to decent policy decisions,” he said.

“Australians deserve better than to have a Government that has essentially abandoned any semblance of border control and left it up to the people smugglers to determine who enters into the country and who doesn’t,” Mr Keenan said.

Speech : Transcript - 5AA Leon Byner

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 5AA Leon Byner

Friday 17th February 2012

SUBJECTS: community detention, Labor’s $4 billion border protection blow out, Coalition border protection policy

EandOE

BYNER:
Scott can you put some meat on the bones on this for us?

MORRISON:
Sure Leon, and particularly for South Australia. Last year the government made a decision to basically release people out into the community from out of detention, not just families but significantly, single males. So no longer is it the government’s policy to keep people in detention, they just let them out now. And they put them into community detention – there are around 1,500/1,600 people currently in that – and when they do that they rent a house and in South Australia there are 63 properties rented at $341 a week on average and that is over $20,000 a week in terms of rental bills. On top of that each person is given 89% of what is technically the Newstart allowance for a single male and that is over $200 a week and on top of that if there were four single males in a house in South Australia they would be entitled to over $6000 worth of start up in terms of fridges, televisions that would go into the house where they would live. That is the cost of failed border protection. When you get it wrong and more than 15,000 turn up, your budget blows out by almost $4 billion as it has over the last three years and this is why.

BYNER:
Now the government, counter to what you are saying, is these good are only supplied in detention so they stay in the property. That is the rebuttal.

MORRISON:
Yes but they still spend the money. They still spend the $10,000 to set up a family house, they still spend $6,000 to set up four single males in a property. Al these costs are incurred - the taxpayer pays for it all. There were just four people in detention when we left office in 2007. We could have just set up one house for four people and it would have covered the entire cost in the entire country. There are now 6,000 people in detention, 1,500 of them in these community detention arrangements and that figure is just going to grow and grow and grow. Now this week the government abandoned private health insurance, they have a carbon tax coming on Australian families as well so that is what Australian families are getting in terms of cost of living pressures and this is what the government is doing with their failed border protection policies.

BYNER:
Now is it fair to say that the houses we are equipping with these $10,000 starter packages are for people not yet processed as refugees?

MORRSION:
That’s right. In fact people who would go off being an asylum seeker and become an actual refugee would probably be worse off.

BYNER:
Why?

MORRISON:
Because they don’t get the rent paid for as long as they are there anymore. When you are an actual refugee and you go on our resettlement program the first month is picked up and after that you are on your own. With this program, the average length of detention for anyone in the network is 45 weeks – almost a year – and they pick up the rent bills for that entire period. So you actually go backwards if you become an actual refugee it would seem based on these figures and if that is not a reason to get on a boat then I don’t know what is. I think the government just does not seem to get it.

BYNER:
So Scott what would you do if you came to government?

MORRISON:
Well we would stop the boats coming.

BYNER:
No, no let’s stick to the things that you are criticizing the government doing today. You would rescind these gift packs would you?

MORRISON:
Well what we would do is –community detention was begun many years ago when there were only 59 people who were put into the program when we started it – just 59. They were the children left in detention when we introduced these measures, now there are 6,000 people. So it would be quite a serious issue but we would have to stop the people coming in order to ensure these costs don’t continue to explode. The government has said in Senate Estimates this week they are expecting from 1 January this year to 30 June next year around 7,500 people to turn up on boats. That is why these costs will continue to blow out. We will restore Nauru, temporary protection visas, we will turn boats back where the circumstances permit and we believe that will work. This government rejects all of those things.

BYNER:
Now are you also, I know the Coalition was talking about the fact that if you come to seek asylum in Australia and you destroy your documents – in other words you have no proof of who you are or your circumstances, are you going to instigate a natural assumption under those circumstances that you do not get refugee status?

MORRISON:
Yes. That’s been our policy now for some years. There is a provision under the Migration Act that lets the Minister presume against refugee status where the identity can’t be established and where we believe you haven’t reasonably co-operated to establish your identity. Throwing your documentation away, if someone had done that and we reasonably formed that view then that is what we will do. I mean, 87% of people throw their documentation away, or don’t have any I should say, and of that 87% per cent there will be a significant proportion who have tossed it to frustrate authorities and we won’t put up with that.

BYNER:
Ok, the government would argue we are doing the right thing – we are being humane. We have given them the ability to lead a reasonable life.

MORRISON:
The government simply doesn’t understand that it’s not humanitarian to have policies that encourage people to get on boats and it’s not fair to taxpayers to have failed border protections that result in cost blow outs of almost $4 billion. This government has put more money into beds in detention centres and these rented homes than they have in public hospitals. That’s their record because they refuse to acknowledge that they got it wrong when they abolished the Howard measures. We simply want them to put them back. Chris Bowen has said that he will restore Nauru but he won’t. If he wanted to it would already be re-opened. That is an absolute furphy of a pledge. He never meant it, he doesn’t mean it now and it’s not going to happen under this government.

BYNER:
Alright, Scott Morrison thank you.

END

Speech : Transcript - 2UE Breakfast Show

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - 2UE Breakfast Show

Friday 17th February 2012

SUBJECTS: chaos in immigration detention, Labor’s $4 billion border budget blow out, community detention

E and OE

JASON MORRISON (JM):
Scott Morrison is the Shadow Minister for Immigration. He’s with me.

SCOTT MORRISON (SM):
G’day Jason.

JM:
Good morning. Duty of care.

SM:
Well firstly on the story re Alex, now last year you might recall that we got up a Parliamentary Inquiry into the detention network and one of the reasons I fought for that was for this story and many stories like them. The boiling water incident, that wasn’t the first time that’d happened in the detention network and that inquiry will report in a couple of months and the stories we’ve heard have just been horrific. And it follows a very similar pattern. Those riots that took place around about a year ago now, no one’s been denied a visa, no one’s been convicted on anything and basically there’s – nothing has effectively happened. And I understand why Serco workers and others who are working in these centres just must be incredibly frustrated because they’re at risk every single day and the outcomes are just not good enough.

JM:
Yeah let’s go back to the heart of what our system is about. We have convinced ourselves that everyone who shows up on a boat is seeking asylum because they’re running from persecution though I think the truth is it’s nowhere near anywhere near what we think it is. It’s probably a portion but not all. There are country shoppers going on.

SM:
There’s no doubt about that.

JM:
I mean these are all discussions. Right, there are people who aren’t running because their family’s going to be persecuted or because they’re facing ethnic cleansing. They’re looking – where is a place I can get a good deal and live?

SM:
Well and that’s why the pull factors of this government’s policies when they abolished the Howard government’s measures four years ago have attracted over 15,000 people to come by boat.

JM:
So –

SM:
and a cost blow out of almost $4 billion now and running.

JM:
We’ve convinced ourselves that everyone here is genuine and the cases are true and so it means that the working point seems to be that the person who’s here is aggrieved and is in a terrible state and has to be cut some slack. Now if they’re running from ethnic cleansing, God knows what they’ve seen. If they’re running because they’ve found somewhere better they’d like to live, that’s a very different argument. If you’re someone who’s prepared to through a kettle full of boiling water over someone who is an authority figure in the country that has just saved your life, which is what’s going on here, you’re someone I don’t want here. Now if a court decides it’s not sufficient to criminally see that person imprisoned, that actually shouldn’t be the end of it.

SM:
Well Section 501 of the Migration Act actually provides for the Minister to deny a visa on character grounds and it doesn’t even require a conviction. The Minister likes to put across this furphy or this myth that somehow only a conviction is required but there are general character tests as well as criminal character tests under the Act and this Minister just doesn’t use them and neither did the one before. I mean you will remember SIEV 36 and those who were found by the Northern Territory coroner to have been part of a plan to scuttle that boat that lost five people’s lives.

JM:
Yeah people were murdered. People were murdered because the vessel was set on fire.

SM:
All of them got visas. All of them. Under this government. And it is just – you just shake your head and I think the Australian people are just sick and tired of excuses, whether it’s the excuses for what’s happening – I mean, there are 1,500 people in community detention today and it’s not just families, we had a policy in government Jason you’ll recall which allowed vulnerable people to be put in the community. People who were very vulnerable, we did that. But this government has now thrown the doors open for community detention for everyone.

JM:
Yeah I think Australians cope with the concept of us helping out people who are in serious threat. We’ve got a good history of it and I don’t think we even have to go and sort of reminisce about that. Australians have more than done their bit. Then I read today there’s this community detention notion which is essentially you’re free and we’re giving people start-up packages to exist in Australia. Now not everyone but $10,000 worth of whitegoods, electrical goods, get started, set up your new home plus the welfare plus the free housing top of the list etc etc. I mean, what is the message that goes with this?

SM:
Get on a boat. That’s the message. That’s the message this government’s been sending for the last four years and as I said, it’s costing in budget blowouts alone, that’s not the total cost, of almost $4 billion over the last three, four years and that’s how these costs go up. I mean, when you have this many people turn up, Jason these are the costs. They just keep going up and up and up and it’s not just families, it’s single males who are put into the community now. This community detention program we found out this week has already cost $50 million just in the six months til the end of December. They’re expecting 7,500 people to turn up by boat from the first of January this year to the 30th of June next year, they admitted that too.

JM:
So how many of these packs do you think we’re going to be handing out?

SM:
Who knows? I mean, how long’s a piece of string?

JM:
Washing machine, fridge, lounge four seater, table and chairs – minium five piece, coffee table, tv 21 inch, TV stand, dvd player, clothes hangers, build-in wardrobes etc etc. Right down to the – I mean it’s almost like what you get for your wedding gifts.

SM:
Well it’s a pretty extensive list and I can tell you when we left office in 2007, there were four people in detention who had arrived by boat. Now you didn’t need too many cups and saucers and tables and chairs to deal with them. There are now over 6,000 and 1,500 of them are in community detention on these arrangements as we speak and there will be more next year because more people will arrive. Now we’ve got a plan to stop all this – it’s called reintroducing Nauru, reintroducing temporary protection visas, turning boats back where the circumstances permit. That’s how you deal with it. The government refuses to do it.

JM:
Yep well there’s our advertising brochure, there’s the lift-out coupon to show all those thinking of coming to Australia it’s worth the money, it’s almost like a $10,000 cash back – you get all the gifts when you get to the end of the rainbow. Thanks for talking to me this morning.

SM:
Thanks a lot Jason.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - MTR Breakfast Show

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - MTR Breakfast Show

Friday 17th February 2012

SUBJECTS: Labor’s $4 billion border budget blow out, community detention, parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s detention network

E and OE

PRICE:
Scott Morrison is the Shadow spokesperson for Immigration and Citizenship, morning to you.

MORRISON:
G’day Steve.

PRICE:
You knew that this was the case though didn’t you?

MORRISON:
Well it’s the policy -

PRICE:
It’s not new, is it?

MORRISON:
- they announced late last year extended not just to families, it’s extended to everyone. I mean the Department admitted this week that 50 percent of people – asylum seekers - who haven’t been found to be refugees yet will be out in the community one way or the another, either through community detention or through bridging visas and they get 89% of the allowances and they get all the things that you’ve just went through in terms of the community detention costs. Now this is costing around $200,000 per week across the nation and in rent as well, I should stress. It’s available not just to families but to single males as well and these are all the costs that get us to the figure of almost $4 billion in blowouts since they got rid of the Howard government’s proven measures. This is what it costs when more than 15,000 people turn up on boats in three years and the government are now saying that we’re going to have 450 a month indefinitely - 7500 will turn up by the end of June next year. There’ll be around 6000 people in detention. These costs aren’t going to stop as long as this government keeps making excuses.

PRICE:
I’m reliably told that these benefits that are available are well known to both the people smugglers and the people - potential asylum seekers before they come here.

MORRISON:
I have no doubt. It’s a thumping big boat magnet, to have these sorts of arrangements and that’s why we thought and have always thought community detention should be used in situations where people are vulnerable and that’s what the Act says because we put that provision in the Act.

PRICE:
But the people picking these packages up are not necessarily vulnerable, are they?

MORRISON:
No that’s true, that is absolutely true. This government now has a general policy, now that they’ve embraced the Greens position, of just letting people out of detention and putting them into these arrangements. This is how the government has completely capitulated; I mean I’ve talked before about Julia Gillard removing the last brick in John Howard’s wall of border protection and this is it.

PRICE:
Family of five in community detention are eligible for goods valued at $7000 – that must make average Australians, many of them living in state-provided community housing struggling to make ends meet, just shake their heads.

MORRISON:
Well not just those in state housing I mean all families now are dealing with the government’s abandonment of private health insurance, they’re dealing with a carbon tax which is on it’s way, which you’ve just been talking about, they’re dealing with cost of living pressures everyday and the reason our budget is in such a mess is that this government has allowed our borders to blow out and it’s costing us almost $4 billion.

PRICE:
In office, obviously what you’re going to do is quite clear. You’re going to reopen Nauru –

MORRISON:
That’s right.

PRICE:
As Tony Abbott has said, you’re going to try and turn some boats back where appropriate, you’ll reintroduce temporary protection visas but what when you get into office do you do with the people who are living in this circumstance? Do you turf them out? Or do you have to let that run its course?

MORRISON:
Well what we will do is anyone who arrives will go to Nauru. And -

PRICE:
But what about the people already in these houses in suburban Australia?

MORRISON:
We’ll review that policy in particular first up for single males. I mean, our view is that single males should be in detention. These provisions for community release should be for those who are in a vulnerable situation, that’s what the Act says and that’s what I’d look to do.

PRICE:
What about a non-vulnerable five person family? Do you then say to them sorry game’s up, you’re back in detention?

MORRISON:
Well what we did with families is we had alternate places of detention. There’s a place up in Darwin called the Airport Lodge which is a facility that is also used for families and there are people in that facility now. They’re the options that we had when in government but the real thing we have to do is stop people coming and we’ve been saying that for years, we sound like a broken record and the government’s only policy is to blame Abbott. Blaming Tony Abbott is not a policy. Restoring Nauru is.

PRICE:
Good on you Scott thanks for your time.

Ends

Speech : Transcript - Ch 9 Morning News

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Speech

Transcript - Ch 9 Morning News

Friday 17th February 2012

SUBJECTS: arrival of another two boats, Labor’s $4 billion border budget blow out, community detention

E and OE

JOURNALIST:
Scott Morrison, the Shadow Minister for Immigration joins us in the studio now, thanks for coming in.

MORRISON:
Pleasure.

JOURNALIST:
Firstly, what is your response to these latest boat arrivals because it brings the numbers up even higher for this year?

MORRISON:
Well that’s right, I mean more boat arrivals, more budget blow outs, more costs to the taxpayer. We’ve had 450 people arrive and more in the last week and the government was just budgeting on 450 to turn up a month so with that sort of level of cost blowouts which is today approaching $4 billion since they abolished the Howard government measures, these costs just keep going up and up and up.

JOURNALIST:
These gift packs. Were you aware and what do you know about who’s supplying them?

MORRISON:
Well it’s provided by the Redcross, funded by the Australian government under the program. Now this was a broader scheme announced by the government last year. Now everyone gets it who gets released into the community which will be half of the asylum seekers next year. And that means people who are single males or families, whoever, they all get just released out of detention now. It costs $50 million just to six months til the end of December and costs are going to keep going up. That’s the cost of failed border protection. When you fail on your borders, these are the costs that turn up on the taxpayer’s door.

JOURNALIST:
Do you see some of these packs – parts of these packs as being justified? There’s things in there like bedding and food and that sort of thing, surely you have no qualms with that?

MORRISON:
The basics are obviously part of it but what I think we’re seeing at the moment is we’ve got taxpayers hit with an abandonment of private health insurance, the carbon tax is underway and we’ve got rising costs of living and at the same time, the asylum budget just keeps going up and up and up and all the government has in response is excuses and blaming the Opposition. That’s not a policy, that’s a cop out.

JOURNALIST:
How do you think the public feels about asylum seekers being given plasma tv’s?

MORRISON:
I think they’re outraged about the costs that are spiralling under this government and I think that’s just another example. They’re very frustrated with a government that’s lost control of the nation’s finances, they’ve lost control of our borders and they’re just sick of it.

JOURNALIST:
What do you see as the answer – what would you say to the government?

MORRISON:
We’d put back what we had in place when we were last in government. There were just four people in detention who’d arrived by boat when we left office. There are now 6,000. Turning back the boats where the circumstances permit and it’s safe, restoring temporary protection visas and reopening the processing centre on Nauru which the government refuses to do all three.

JOURNALIST:
Scott Morrison, thanks for your time.

Ends