Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Can the minister confirm that during the last five years of the Howard government only 18 boats carrying asylum seekers arrived in Australia? Can the minister also confirm that at last count at least 137 boats have arrived in the 18 months or so since the Rudd government softened the coalition’s stronger border protection laws?