Doorstop
Australian Federal Police National Canine Operations Centre, Pialligo ACT
12 July 2010
Topics: Philip Ruddock’s comments on turning the boats around; new firearm and explosive detector dogs; terrorism; polls and election timing; 500 new AFP officers
[FOLLOWING MINISTER’S SPEECH]
JOURNALIST: The Opposition former Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock was on radio this morning talking about the boat people policy and the Opposition's policy to turn the boats back? He sounded like he was wavering on that policy. Are there cracks opening up in the Opposition?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Philip Ruddock has confirmed what the government has been saying all along. The turn back the boat policy is based on a dishonest promise. It can't be done. It is unworkable.
[FOLLOWING A MEDIA TOUR OF THE NATIONAL CANINE OPERATIONS CENTRE]
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: We're here today to announce a $17.8 million initiative by the Gillard Government to enhance security at our major airports. Today you've seen a fantastic example of the capacity of these dogs and their handlers to detect firearms and explosives. And of course, this is a training circuit, but we need these dogs in the airports where people travel.
There are millions of Australians that travel in our airports. We have millions of visitors - 33 million visitors at the Sydney Airport alone, 24 million visitors to the Melbourne Airport, and of course many other airports around the country.
And what we need to do as a government is ensure we are securing our ports, protecting our citizens and travellers in those airports, and we do that in a whole array of ways, including having effective firearm and explosive detector dogs.
And today we're announcing an additional 17 dogs over the course of the next 12 months, five that have been trained from today on a 13 week rigorous course to ensure that they can protect our interests, they can detect firearms and explosives that may endanger the lives of Australians and others.
So this is a very important initiative that will of course combat criminal behaviour, combat terrorism. I'd like to thank the Australian Federal Police for hosting today's event and illustrating the importance of this new initiative for the Australian people.
If there are any questions, I'm happy to take those.
JOURNALIST: We're coming up to - well, next year, 10 years since terrorism became the focus of much of the western world. Australia's yet to be attacked on our homeland. Is it a fight to ensure that government money and government focus remains firmly on CT?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Look, we've had, as most people would know, over 100 Australians that have died as a result of terrorist attacks in other countries. And it's a reminder how dangerous terrorism is in the country, what a threat it is to our citizens, and therefore if we're to stop terrorism offences, terrorism attacks occurring in our own country, we have to have the best effective capacity to do that.
And this initiative today, adding 50 per cent extra handlers and dogs to our major airports, is another step forward in protecting our interests, and in terms of fighting terrorism but also fighting other forms of criminal activity.
JOURNALIST: Minister, is the four-point lead in the polls strong enough for Labor to go to an election with and win?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, I do look at polls but I don't spend much time looking at them. I've got a big job to do. And can I say we're not focused on polls.
This government is focused on ensuring we have a strong economy, that we focus on the reforms in the health area, that we continue to improve our education system. These are the things that the Australian people are concerned about. That's what a Gillard Government is concerned about now and of course beyond the election if the people of Australia choose to re-elect us.
JOURNALIST: That Nielsen poll this morning showed that the Coalition still has a two percentage point lead over the Government for handling asylum seekers though. Is that some area that you're looking to close ground there?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, again, as I've said, we will make decisions in the national interest whether they are national security matters or economic decisions.
This government has been focused all along on what matters to the Australian people. And what matters to the Australian people is we have a strong economy, a good health system, and every child in this country gets a decent education. They're the main things they concern themselves with.
And of course what they also expect from a government is to ensure that we focus every day on national security. And today I am at an event to ensure that we continue to be vigilant against the threats to our citizens on our own soil, and for that reason we've added an extra 17 dogs and handlers over the course of the next 12 months to the capability of the Australian Federal Police to secure our airports around the country.
JOURNALIST: Why now though? Are there large amounts of explosives being brought into airports?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: We can always be more effective. We can always look to improve our capability. There is of course increased traffic in our airports. Airports' traffic movement is increasing year by year, and we want to make sure we have the most effective capability to detect firearms and explosives in our major airports. And having an extra 17 dogs and handlers at those airports will secure Australians and indeed visitors to those airports.
JOURNALIST: What can you offer the AFP in terms of election commitments, because last time the Opposition still says that the promise to add 500 extra AFP officers hasn't been fulfilled. Can you promise to fulfil that, or is there something else that you can offer?
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Well, in relation to the promise of the 500 extra Federal Police, we are well above target. We promised to deliver those over the five year period, and indeed we're now 200 officers more than we would have been, given that the schedule we'd actually outlined before the last election.
So in fact, in terms of officers of the Australian Federal Police, we're very proud of the fact that we've enhanced the number of Australian Federal Police around this country.
You won't get a finer national police force in the world than the Australian Federal Police. They have a very complex and challenging job to do across a whole - not only in this country but in places around the world. And they are a fantastic police force. I'm proud to be their Minister.
And today, again, they've illustrated how important they are by ensuring that we have stronger protection in our airports, better security in our major international airports. That will be done as a result of the initiative today.
