Oliver Laughland in Sydney
theguardian.com, Monday 23 September 2013
Immigration minister will not comment on operational activity, including any attempts to turn back boats
Scott Morrison looks on as Lt Gen Angus Campbell speaks to media in Sydney. Photograph: Paul Miller/AAP
The new immigration and border protection minister, Scott Morrison, will not commit to informing the public if a boat carrying asylum seekers is turned back to Indonesia by Australian forces under the Coalition government's border policy, named Operation Sovereign Borders.
Speaking at the first weekly briefing on the new hardline boat deterrence policy with the operation's commander Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, Morrison said that "tactical discussions of things that happen at sea" would not be the subject of public commentary.
"That goes to operational matters whether they affect current or future operational activity you will not be getting commentary from this podium or that podium either way on those matters," Morrison said.
The minister said that the change in reporting, which will see boat arrivals detailed in the weekly briefing rather than as real time updates, was a return to "the practise of the Howard government".
Morrison also revealed that the government aims to transfer any asylum seeker arriving by boat within 48 hours.
Lt Gen Campbell confirmed that one boat carrying asylum seekers had arrived in Australia since the new border policy began last Wednesday. It was carrying 31 passengers and two crew. The three-star general said he anticipated those on board would be transferred to a regional processing centre on Manus Island or Nauru within 48 hours.
Morrison confirmed that the new government will scrap plans to build a new detention centre at Singleton and would reinvest the $58 million projected cost to offshore facilities.
He said he plans to increase capacity at Manus by a further 1,230 places and further 2,000 places on Nauru. He will also visit Manus island later in the week, saying there were "serious issues" to be dealt with and committing himself to speaking personally with asylum seekers on the island and "delivering the message about the government's new policy directly".
Morrison also identified significant "funding issues" in the offshore processing model introduced by the Rudd government, saying the policy had only been funded until 1 January 2014. "This leaves a fairly significant hole that has to be filled," he said.
He has met with the foreign minister of Nauru and will travel to the island state next week.
The Coalition has also suspended the onshore advertising of the so-called "PNG Solution" meaning no adverts will placed in the Australian press detailing the policy.
Morrison added that the Coalition's commitment to ending permanent protection visas was now in force and those currently inside the Australian immigration detention network who arrived before 19 July will be offered temporary protection visas if found to be refugees.
Reacting to Morrison's new media policy the interim Labor leader Chris Bowen said: "They are more interested in stopping the press releases than in stopping the boats."
Scott Morrison defends vow of silence on asylum seeker boat arrivals | World news | theguardian.com
