New Minister must immediately reverse cuts made to national and border security

12/12/11

The new Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare, must immediately reverse the extensive cuts made to the agencies within the Home Affairs portfolio, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection Michael Keenan said today.

“As Australia’s borders crumble around us it is essential that the new Minister for Home Affairs starts to repair the extensive damage caused by Labor’s cuts. The Minister needs to restore the damaging cuts former Ministers imposed upon these vital agencies, including:

· $20.8 million cut from aerial surveillance and the further $9.3 million that the Gillard Government plan to axe from Customs in 2014-15;

· $58.1 million that they cut to Customs cargo screening;

· $17 million cut from the Australia Federal Police’s air marshal program;

· 90 staff axed from Customs on top of the 250 cut in the 2010-11 Budget;

· 72 staff cut from the AFP in the 2011-12 Budget;

· Cuts of $17.3 million over five years for the management of vessels of illegal foreign fishers;

· $34 million slashed over four years for passenger facilitation at Australia’s 8 international airports;

· In the 2009-10 Budget Labor cut the budget of Customs for cargo screening by $58.1 million

· With the MYEFO update Customs could expect a reduction of up to $35 million over the forward estimates and $45 million in cuts to the AFP,” he said.

“Considering there have been 268 illegal boats and 14,297 people intercepted by Customs Border Protection Command since Labor dismantled the Coalition’s successful border protection regime in August 2008, new Minister Clare needs to urgently reassess the damaging cuts made to Customs and seriously address the constant flow of illegal boats to our shores.

“With 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, they need a Minister who can fight on behalf of the national interest and not roll over to Cabinet pressure every time cuts are needed to fill Labor’s budget black hole,” he said.

“Australia’s national and border security agencies deserve better than the incompetent mismanagement provided to them by former Ministers. I call on new Minister Clare to start a fresh by providing the resources that are so desperately needed to deal with Labor’s border protection crisis of their own making,” Mr Keenan said.