❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about a recent unauthorized boat arrival and communication with the Prime Minister regarding border security. The Premier defends the federal government's border protection measures and highlights collaboration on other projects.
AnsweredQoN 58Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BORDER
SECURITY — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT — COMMUNICATION
58. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
Sorry, Deputy Speaker; I almost
called you Madam Speaker and had to correct myself!
I refer to the recent unauthorised
boat arrival on the Western Australian mainland without the detection by or
intervention of federal authorities.
(1) Has the
Premier raised this significant breach in border security with Prime Minister
Albanese, given the obvious threat to our state and nation's
biosecurity?
(2) Does the Premier trust that the
Prime Minister has Western Australia's borders under control?
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER : Minister, thank you.
SECURITY — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT — COMMUNICATION
58. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
Sorry, Deputy Speaker; I almost
called you Madam Speaker and had to correct myself!
I refer to the recent unauthorised
boat arrival on the Western Australian mainland without the detection by or
intervention of federal authorities.
(1) Has the
Premier raised this significant breach in border security with Prime Minister
Albanese, given the obvious threat to our state and nation's
biosecurity?
(2) Does the Premier trust that the
Prime Minister has Western Australia's borders under control?
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER : Minister, thank you.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. I should refer to him as the federal Leader
of the Opposition because, once again, we find ourselves engaged in discussions
around federal jurisdictional matters. I can confirm, obviously, that I have
not only spoken with the Prime Minister and his cabinet about these things but
have also had the pleasure of joining the Prime Minister when he presented at a
press conference earlier today. We were
celebrating a great partnership between the federal and state governments on a great
new social and affordable build-to-rent housing opportunity in Pier
Street in Perth. It is a terrific example of the cooperation we are seeing
between the state and federal governments at the moment. Obviously, Operation
Sovereign Borders is still enacted. That continues to engage in the way that it
was designed and continues to work effectively.
I
believe those particular boat arrivals were all welcomed and processed in the
usual manner. No more boats have come in this period than came in the
last government. Under both the previous federal government and this federal
government, the federal government had the opportunity to intercept any boat
arrivals and take appropriate action. It is always regrettable when people make
landfall, but, of course, as we all acknowledge, it is a very vast coastline.
What matters is that the combination of both civil and public sector detection
operations can make the appropriate observations. I am very pleased that locals
were able to welcome those people from their boats, ensure that their welfare
was protected and then provide accommodation for them until the authorities
arrived. It always has been thus. I do note that under this federal government, Border Force has received a significant
increase in its budget. That was acknowledged by the Commissioner of the
Australian Border Force yesterday in his utterances when he debunked and
refuted the claims by the federal Leader of the Opposition, a position to which
the state Leader of the Opposition clearly aspires.
thank the member for the question. I should refer to him as the federal Leader
of the Opposition because, once again, we find ourselves engaged in discussions
around federal jurisdictional matters. I can confirm, obviously, that I have
not only spoken with the Prime Minister and his cabinet about these things but
have also had the pleasure of joining the Prime Minister when he presented at a
press conference earlier today. We were
celebrating a great partnership between the federal and state governments on a great
new social and affordable build-to-rent housing opportunity in Pier
Street in Perth. It is a terrific example of the cooperation we are seeing
between the state and federal governments at the moment. Obviously, Operation
Sovereign Borders is still enacted. That continues to engage in the way that it
was designed and continues to work effectively.
I
believe those particular boat arrivals were all welcomed and processed in the
usual manner. No more boats have come in this period than came in the
last government. Under both the previous federal government and this federal
government, the federal government had the opportunity to intercept any boat
arrivals and take appropriate action. It is always regrettable when people make
landfall, but, of course, as we all acknowledge, it is a very vast coastline.
What matters is that the combination of both civil and public sector detection
operations can make the appropriate observations. I am very pleased that locals
were able to welcome those people from their boats, ensure that their welfare
was protected and then provide accommodation for them until the authorities
arrived. It always has been thus. I do note that under this federal government, Border Force has received a significant
increase in its budget. That was acknowledged by the Commissioner of the
Australian Border Force yesterday in his utterances when he debunked and
refuted the claims by the federal Leader of the Opposition, a position to which
the state Leader of the Opposition clearly aspires.
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