Today at Senate Estimates the Australian Border Force revealed that last month a vessel was intercepted and its passengers taken to Nauru for the first time in nine years. This is the ninth people smuggling venture to attempt to arrive illegally in Australia since the May 2022 Federal Election.
Once again Minister O’Neil and Labor have shown that they can’t be trusted to keep our borders safe.
The Coalition warned Labor that its dismantling of Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) would re-incentivise people smugglers and put lives at risk. The latest venture comes at the same time as a planned $600 million cut to border security in Labor’s most recent budget, which the Australian Border Force Commissioner confirmed in Senate Estimates in May 2023 would leave his frontline forces "stretched".
The most recent venture is a chilling reminder of the illegal arrivals we saw the last time Labor was in Government.
Between 2008 and 2013, more than 50,000 people arrived in Australia illegally on more than 820 boats, and tragically at least 1,200 died at sea.
By contrast, the Coalition’s OSB sent a clear message of deterrence to people smugglers looking to sell illegal voyages to Australia. This work is now being undone.
Only the Coalition can be trusted to keep our borders safe.