The prime minister has accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of seeking to politicise border security following a boat arrival carrying a group of refugees in remote Western Australia.
The group, reportedly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, were found on Friday near a remote Indigenous community close to the former West Australian church mission of Beagle Bay.
Following comments from the opposition leader that the government did not support Operation Sovereign Borders, Anthony Albanese said the remarks were hindering border security efforts.
“Peter Dutton is someone who is showing, with his overblown rhetoric and with his overreach on this issue, that he’s not interested in outcomes that are in the Australian national interest,” the PM told reporters in Nowra on Sunday.
“Peter Dutton needs to think very carefully about the role that he is playing, and I think it’s there for all to see whether he’s interested in the national interest, or interested in just playing politics.”
The prime minister confirmed he had spoken with Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter on Sunday, following reports three groups of boat arrivals had been found.
An operational update is set to be provided by border force authorities later on Sunday.
The commander previously said alternative narratives had the potential to be exploited by people smugglers.
But Mr Dutton on Saturday said there was “no question about the fact Operation Sovereign Borders was not supported by the … government.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the remarks from Mr Dutton were damaging.
“I would be very cautionary in terms of Mr Dutton and his comments, as leading people in the Australian Border Force have said any suggestion of alternative narratives is actually harmful,” she told Sky News on Sunday.
“Operation Sovereign Borders has been operating in exactly the same way since it was introduced under the previous government, consistent with successive governments.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud said the arrivals had signalled the government was weak on border security.
“The damage is already done, you don’t get on a boat unless you’ve got something to sell to these people, and they’ve been telling them that Australia’s borders are porous,” he told Nine’s Today program.
“We need to make sure the resources are there for Border Force to intercept these people, because this is dangerous. This is people’s lives at risk as well, beyond our borders.”
Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said a lack of funding for the Border Force had contributed to the issue.
“The government has ripped $600 million out of the Australian Border Force and so the question is, can we even surveil the northwest coast of Australia?” he told Sky News.
Source: AAP
