Wed, 14th May 2008

Budget slashes border protection funding

The Hon Christopher Pyne MP
Shadow Minister for Justice & Border Protection
Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration & Citizenship

“The Australian Customs Service has suffered a substantial budget cut, exposing Labor’s old fashioned weakness in the area of border protection and national security,” said Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection Christopher Pyne.

“Australian Customs has been slashed by $51.5 million in real terms [Budget Paper 4, p23 – based on CPI of 3.25%], which amounts to a 3.4% cut to the Customs budget.

“Australian Customs has more demands placed upon it than ever before, protecting Australian borders from dangerous illicit drugs, disease and the terrorist threat, amongst other things.

“With reports indicating increases in illegal tobacco, or ‘chop chop’, and Afghan brown heroin on the streets of Australian cities, this is not the time to be cutting the customs budget.

“Cuts to Australian Customs, who are the front line in Australia’s border protection security, would have been unthinkable for any sensible government.

“The ALP has played to form and started undoing the strong support that our national security agencies enjoyed under the Coalition Government,” Mr Pyne said.

“Under-funded agencies will be unable to deliver strong border protection, which places Australia’s interests and Australian lives at risk,” he said.