Boat 101 since election in PM'S year of non delivery
22/11/11
The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 79 people on board, is the 101st since the last election and a reminder of the continuing failure of the government’s border policies, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.
“Four years ago today Australia had an effective border protection regime and there were just four people in detention who had arrived by boat,” Mr Morrison said.
“This regime was abolished by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. The 79 people on board this latest boat will join the more than 13,200 people who have already arrived under the Government’s failed border protection policies,” he said.
“Before the last election Julia Gillard pledged to 'wreck the people smugglers trade'. The result has been a series of embarrassing policy failures and the arrival of 101 boats carrying 5,935 people.
“In Julia Gillard's year of delivery she has failed to implement any policy to address Labor's border protection failures,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Keenan said: “The window for the Labor Party to address the border protection crisis they created is rapidly closing.
“They must use this last sitting week of the Parliament to address the vacuum. Legislation remains on the notice paper that deals with these issues and the Labor Party needs to accept the simple safeguard put forward by the Coalition for Australia to again have offshore processing.
“If they refuse to use this week to debate border protection then they will send an enormous green light for people smugglers to continue their trade in human cargo. Australia cannot afford to go into next year without a border protection policy,” Mr Keenan said.