QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator BELL (New South Wales—One Nation Whip) (15:30): I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (Senator Watt) to a question without notice I asked today relating to migration. Firstly, I'd just like to address one of the points that the minister raised in relation to this policy, which was 'what about the Ukraine?' His question tells me something, and it tells me he's not actually across our policy.
I suspect he hasn't even read it, as he's answering it, because, if he had, he would have seen that our policy actually says that these restrictions should not apply where the 'do not travel' country-wide rating is principally caused by foreign invasion and temporary external military escalation rather than domestic terrorism, criminal violence, state repression or institutional collapse.
On that current DFAT advice, that exclusion applies to Bahrain, Kuwait and the Ukraine. The answer is there. He just hadn't read it.
He wasn't across the detail on this issue, just like the Labor government is not across the detail on so many other issues. On this policy, I'll say again, One Nation's position is simple: the safety of Australians must come first. If the Commonwealth is telling Australians not to travel to a country because of terrorism, kidnapping, war, violent crime, state repression or institutional collapse, then the same government should not accept ordinary migration from that country on a business-as-usual basis.
Labor cannot have it both ways. It cannot issue its highest travel warning to Australian families and then pretend those same risks disappear when people apply for visas to come here. As I said, Australia's terrorism threat remains probable.
ASIO says there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore terror attack or planned attack in the next 12 months. That is what ASIO says. That is the threat we are currently facing.
We believe stronger action needs to be taken, and we believe the Labor government is failing to do so. When we put forward policies or suggestions, the Labor government aren't even reading the detail, yet they'll stand up, and they will criticise them when they have very little or no idea as to what we've even suggested. That is putting Australians in danger.
In this environment where the terrorism threat remains at a greater than 50 per cent chance, One Nation says migration from whole-of-country do-not-travel destinations should be paused unless security agencies can give Australians absolute assurance about identity and risk. Why is Labor prepared to act on migration integrity as One Nation has suggested but not national security?
(Time expired) Question agreed to.