Australia has had some great immigration ministers. Arthur Calwell started post-war migration; Harold Holt linked immigration to industry and infrastructure development; Hubert Opperman began dismantling the White Australia Policy; Al Grassby introduced us to multiculturalism; Michael MacKeller implemented points tested skill migration, the humanitarian program and modern settlement programs; Robert Ray codified immigration selection; and Philip Ruddock implemented the foundations for using temporary and skilled immigration for demographic, economic and budget benefit.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton ... the historical view will not favour him. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

None were without their flaws. But they all shared three positive attributes – they publicly explained how their approach to immigration furthered the national interest; they focused on maintaining an orderly program and understood the importance of promoting social cohesion.

Peter Dutton has failed on all of these measures and must qualify as our worst immigration minister, a role he held until last August. As Home Affairs minister, he continues to carry ultimate responsibility for the immigration portfolio.

Dutton would contend his greatest achievement is border control, largely due to his foot-dragging on settlement of refugees on Manus and Nauru, which has cost so much in financial and human terms for no border protection benefit. Only this week there came news to take the shine off the Australian Border Force. Leaked notes from Defence revealed it was forced to reduce counter-terrorism ocean patrols with the Philippines, cancel a martitime operation with Pacific neighbours and cancel an air surveillance exercise with Indonesia because it had to pick up the slack left by an underfunded Border Force, which had 20 per cent fewer sea-going personnel than it needed.