Border Protection, Customs, Quarantine
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7th September, 2013 In almost every budget Labor slashes customs and quarantine in a flippant disregard for border security — drastically reducing the number of passengers subject to scrutiny on arrival and the volume of freight and parcels inspected on arrival. Labor took a soft approach to disease import risk assessment and wound back northern quarantine surveillance. Labor softened border protection laws, kick-starting the people smuggling business with 50,000 boat arrivals flooding into Australia. |
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12th February, 2013 Government confirms that 2012-13 asylum seeker budget was based on 12,000 arrivals but that number has already been exceeded - 12884 (Senate Estimates) |
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14th January, 2013 A report by the University of Sydney says there are now more guns in Australia than when the 1996 Port Arthur gun buy back began. Under Labor less than 10% of air cargo s inspected by Customs on arrival in Australia and only 5% of sea cargo. In 2012-13 Labor cut $12 million from the Australian Crime Commission, $131 million from the Australian Federal Police, and $26 million from Customs and Border Security |
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20th December, 2012 Customs Minister, Jason Clare, admits that 750 customs staff have been laid off since Labor came to office |
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28th March, 2012 Customs sacks or suspends 15 officers since 2010 over corruption and misconduct allegations. A further 20 allegations involving corrupt government officials, including customs officers and brokers, are under investigation (The Age) |
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10th May, 2011 BUDGET 2011-12 Cost of Labor’s offshore asylum seeker management has increased by $1.75 billion since last year’s Budget. Labor’s “Malaysian Solution” will cost $292 million Government to slash $21 million on aircraft surveillance of coastal waters (950 hours less flying time) $15.5 million cut from ASIO but $30.6 million provided for new office accommodation over four years Another $34 million cut to Customs and Border Protection staff at international airports over four years $12 million cut in the operations of the National Counter Terrorism Committee $10 million saved by reduced targeting of illegal foreign fishing boats apprehended in Australia’ northern waters |
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9th May, 2011 Government announces that NZ apples apples will be allowed into Australia under protocols which offer no requirements to prevent fire blight from being exported with the apples |
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21st February, 2011 Quarantine paper work failure allows 20 tonnes of Malaysian prawns infected with white spot virus to to be distributed around Australia last September. 17 tonnes have never been recovered putting at risk the whole Australian marine environment (Senate Estimates) |
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6th February, 2011 Customs Annual Report shows that since the Federal Labor Government cut back the number of shipping containers being inspected, only 1140kg of drugs were seized in 2009-10, compared with 5725 in 2008-09. Of 2.813 million containers arriving in 2009-10 just 101,822 (3.61%) were x-rayed or examined |
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24th June, 2010 Kevin Rudd deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Ms Julia Gillard |
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11th May, 2010 BUDGET Customs staff numbers slashed by 250 further reducing the number of passengers and imports subject to inspection in Rudd's 2010-11 Budget |
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9th June, 2009 Operational effectiveness of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has been compromised by the Rudd Labor Government's delayed decision to replace the ageing Bay Class vessels despite spending $2 million on consultancies |
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9th June, 2009 A $58.1 million cut to the Customs budget by the Rudd Labor Government will mean that the target for inspections for air cargo will fall by 4.7 million consignments and screenings of sea cargo will fall by 32,500 consignments. There will also be 2,150 fewer vessels boarded as part of the First Port Boarding regime |
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12th May, 2009 BUDGET 40% quarantine inspection co-contribution to be scrapped and quarantine inspection charges doubled. Some charges have increased by 1352% $35.8 million cut from Australian quarantine and bio security programs, leading to the loss of 125 jobs and reductions in import inspections |
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18th February, 2008 Labor reduces the Australian Sky Marshals program which has been keeping travellers safe from terrorism |
