Download PDFShadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Scott Morrison
Over 1,800 arrivas in May fresh from $10 billion blow out under Labor
Sunday 19th May 2013
The arrival of the latest illegal boat, with 135 people on board, has taken boat arrivals this month to more
than 1,800 and follows Labor's budget on illegal arrivals blowing out by more than $10 billion, Shadow
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison and Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and
Border Protection, Michael Keenan said today.
“Another Labor budget saw yet another blow out in the cost of their failed border protection policies,” Mr
Morrison said.
“Labor's budget blowout on their border failures has now eclipsed $10 billion. Yet at the same time they are
cutting funding to put AFP officers on the beat in Indonesia to go after people smugglers.
“Labor's priorities and instincts on protecting our borders have always being wrong. Their heart is just not in
it, and never has been.
“The longer Labor stays in office the longer boats will continue to arrive in record numbers and the bigger
Labor's legacy of failure will be,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Keenan said: “One of the main reasons Julia Gillard gave for ousting Kevin Rudd was his
mismanagement of Australia’s borders.
“However since Julia Gillard took over there have been 540 boats carrying nearly 35,000 people - this is
more than triple the rate of boats that arrived under Kevin Rudd.
“It has also been revealed that Labor has in fact cut 40 per cent of AFP staff in Jakarta who were there to
assist the Indonesian National Police is combating people smuggling.
“Because of this decision, come June 30, there will be only three AFP officers in Jakarta who are there to
fight the booming people smuggling trade - yet last month was the biggest month for illegal boat arrivals
ever on record.
“So not only has this Government cut the AFP’s funding by a further $45.2 million but they have reduced
their ability to assist the Indonesian Police in their fight against people smuggling,” Mr Keenan said.