Election 2022: 14 Labor MPs who reject boat turnbacks

More than a dozen Labor MPs including potential ministers in an Albanese government have publicly opposed the government’s policy of turning back asylum seeker boats. See the list.

More than a dozen Labor MPs including potential ministers in an Albanese government have publicly opposed the government’s policy of turning back asylum seeker boats, it can be revealed.

News Corp analysis of social media posts, conference submissions and press interviews found at least 14 Labor politicians and candidates had gone on the record in recent years, voicing their disgust of the practice of turnbacks.

Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Among those vehemently opposed were New South Wales’ Susan Templeman in the ultra-marginal seat of Macquarie and Opposition assistant climate change Pat Conroy, along with senior Queensland frontbenchers Terri Butler and Senator Murray Watt.

Their passionate statements reveal the clear ideological rifts within the party over the policy, which Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong sought to quell on Sunday.

Standing in for Labor’s Covid-19 stricken Anthony Albanese on Sunday, she firmly guaranteed the party would be sticking to boat turnbacks if it claims victory on May 21.

Labor Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

It comes days after Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips came under scrutiny over her views on the matter, with Ms Phillips saying she supported the policy despite signing a document in 2015 stating she “fiercely opposed” turning back the boats.

“There have been two national conferences since then and as an MP I absolutely support Labor’s policy,” Ms Phillips said.

When pushed to clarify why and when she had changed her mind, Mr Albanese intervened and said “the Labor position is very clear” on its support for turning back the boats.

The topic of boat arrivals has been a major issue in previous elections after more than 1000 asylum seekers perished at sea between 2007 and 2013 under a Labor government.

Labor Senator Murray Watt addresses the media. Picture: Zak Simmonds

But the Coalition has also faced significant criticism for detaining asylum seekers for years and being slow to find options for them to resettle — which has also led to at least a dozen deaths in offshore detention centres in Manus and Nauru since 2013.

Labor’s has for years supported the policy of boat turnbacks — though the road to that position has been fractious.

Mr Watt, Labor’s spokesman on Northern Australia, in a 2015 speech stated he did not “think that pursuing turnbacks and offshore processing is in line with our long term Labor values”.

Ms Phillips in 2015 said, in a social media post after Labor’s national conference — where policy is formulated — that the party’s platform was “sadly now silent on the issue of turnbacks”.

“But onwards and we always fight for improvements and negotiate from within.”

Mr Conroy, also after the 2015 national conference, confirmed he had voted against turnbacks but had also made peace with the outcome.

“Oh look I voted against turnbacks, but the important thing is there was a very good debate and we had some excellent contributions on both sides and the party’s position has been resolved and that is the position we’ll take to the next election,” he said at the time.

Senator Wong, campaigning in the geographically vast Northern Territory seat of Lingiari, was asked if she could guarantee Labor policy on boat turnbacks wouldn’t change should they take government in the face of obvious internal differences.

“Yes I can,” she said.

The Opposition Leader had been facing increasing scrutiny over Labor’s policy on boat turnbacks and asylum seekers before he went into Covid-19 isolation, including a fiery exchange with Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the Sky News Leaders’ Debate.

“Why did you not support turnbacks?” Mr Morrison asked.

Asylum seekers arrive by boat on Christmas Island. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Jerga

Mr Albanese responded that he was “on the national security committee” at the time and had “established offshore processing”

“In 2013 when I became deputy prime minister. That was the first step. That was the first step,” he said.

Mr Albanese then had to clarify that the Prime Minister was right, and that he didn’t support boat turnbacks nine years ago but did now.

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Originally published as Election 2022: 14 Labor MPs who reject boat turnbacks