LABOR’S ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY

Labor’s policy on asylum seekers is clear – we will never let the people smugglers back in business.  Every time Peter Dutton lies about Labor’s strong position on border protection, he is a walking, talking billboard for the people smugglers and is encouraging them to restart their vile trade.  If Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton really cared about saving lives at sea they wouldn’t be deliberately misrepresenting Labor’s strong border protection policies.   Labor believes in strong borders, offshore processing, regional resettlement, and turnbacks when safe to do so because we know it saves lives at sea.  This is the policy Labor took to the last election and remains our policy. Labor’s resolve on this issue is absolute – the way to Australia through irregular means by boat is closed, and it will remain so under Labor.  Manus Island and Nauru were set up as temporary regional processing centres but have become places of indefinite detention because of the out-of-touch Turnbull Government’s failure to negotiate other third country resettlement options.  Peter Dutton’s failure to negotiate other third country resettlement options and his continued incompetence in managing his portfolio has meant genuine refugees have languished in indefinite detention.  Labor has called on the Turnbull Government to accept New Zealand's offer to resettle eligible refugees from Manus and Nauru and negotiate conditions similar to the US refugee resettlement agreement to prevent people smugglers exploiting vulnerable people.  If the Government was able to negotiate conditions for the US deal, they should be able to negotiate them for any deal with NZ.  By his own admission, Peter Dutton knows he is playing into the hands of the people smugglers and criminal syndicates who prey on the lives of vulnerable people when he lies about Labor’s strong border protection policies. He should be ashamed of himself.