Albo’s visa backflip sets of a political war of words in Canberra

Anthony Albanese’s push to overhaul Temporary Protection Visas ignited a Question Time storm— and seems to counter advice to the government after last year’s election against weakening Operation Sovereign Borders.

A move by the Prime Minister to ditch Temporary Protection Visas has set off a war of words, with the government being accused of ignoring official advice and Home Affairs boss Mike Pezzullo being drawn into the controversy.

In Question Time on Monday, Opposition leader Peter Dutton asked Anthony Albanese whether he or anyone in his government hadreceived advice warning of the consequences of taking nearly 20,000 refugees off Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs).

“We were clear before the election that we would do exactly what we told the Australian people we would do for the electionand we have a mandate for it,” Mr Albanese replied.

When asked again by Liberal Home Affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews whether he could “guarantee that he has not received any advice that the government’s watering down of Operation Sovereign Borders is likely to result in more people smuggling arrivals,” Mr Albanese did not directly engage the question.

When Mr Albanese went to last May’s election promising to end TPVs, border protection bureaucrats sounded warning bells.The Daily Telegraph can reveal that in a briefing for incoming ministers prepared by Home Affairs officials, the department noted that Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) relied on “various complementary policy measures” including “Temporary Protection(subclass 785) visas … (and) family reunification de-prioritisation,” among other measures.

Sri Lankan asylum seekers wave from a wooden boat at a port in Cilegon, Indonesian Banten province, 13/10/2009 after Australian PM Rudd confirmed that he phoned Indonesian president for help in stopping people-smuggling.

The briefing went on to warn “changes to any single element of OSB, without effective mitigation, may result in a weakeningof the overall denial and deterrence effects delivered by the operation as a whole.”

“The key strength of the OSB model is that all elements working together collectively contribute to Australia’s ability tomaintain strong denial and deterrence effects against maritime people smuggling,” it said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Parliament House Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

Despite this warning the government on Monday announced it would invite TPV holders who arrived before OSB to apply forpermanent residency with associated rights to family reunion and eventual citizenship.

Initial reports of this briefing published online by the Telegraph set off a round of questioning in senate estimates, with Home Affairs boss Mr Pezzullo answering “No” when asked by Labor senator Nita Green if the government had gone against departmental advice.

However, he also said “temporary protection” is one of “a number of complementary policies that support (OSB)” and that “the advice to government was very clear that changing any single element of OSB could result in a weakening of the overall deterrenceposture absent mitigants.”

He also said the “government had listened to advice” and “put in appropriate mitigants.”

The Telegraph understands these include keeping TPVs on the statute books, meaning they can still be used in the future, as well as the ongoing program of turning back boats.

According to the most recent Operation Sovereign Borders report, one vessel was turned back by Australian authorities in the month of December.

Originally published as Albo’s visa backflip sets of a political war of words in Canberra