Labor Waste

Media Release – Scott Morrison

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has been caught up in Labor’s growing pattern of deceit after the Coalition revealed the new Darwin Detention Centre at Wickham Point will cost eight times more than was announced, Shadow Minister for Productivity and Population & Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Scott Morrison said today.

“Last Thursday Minister Bowen said the Wickham Point facility would cost $9.2 million. He boasted the new centre was ‘an efficient use of taxpayers money’, drawing comparison with the total capital costs of developing previously announced  11 mile site near Darwin. However in a blatant attempt to deceive taxpayers he conveniently left out the fact that under the lease he signed, the Wickham Point centre would cost at least $83.3 million,” Mr Morrison said.

“The cost of the new centre will balloon even further with running costs expected to be at least $70 million a year. It is also not clear what details have been agreed to for renewal of the lease or any make good or non renewal provisions that could incur additional costs,” he said.

“Minister Bowen has failed to be up front with Australians about the true costs of this centre. This pattern of deceit from Labor, including their great big lie over the carbon tax, is destroying public confidence in the Gillard Labor Government.

“This is the same style deceit that Labor served up before the last election when they led Australians to believe there would be no expansion of the on shore detention network, yet since the election they have announced an extra 4,900 beds.

“This is a government that just weeks ago asked for an extra $290 million in running costs for managing asylum seekers for this financial year alone – more than the total cost of running the Howard Government’s Pacific Solution for almost six years. And this is the same Government that is telling Australians that next financial year the costs will be $500 million less.

“Blow outs, bungling and spin are no way to run an immigration and border protection regime. The Labor Government need to address their failed policies which have seen 211 boats arrive with almost 10,400 people on board.

“If Labor fails to fix its failed policies then more boats, budget blow outs and beds will be the inevitable result,” Mr Morrison said.

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