Control of borders at risk, says Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton has accused the government of ‘playing a very dangerous game’ on border protection after the navy revealed it was providing ‘surge’ support to Australia’s northern waters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in question time on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Peter Dutton has accused the government of “playing a very dangerous game” on border protection after the navy revealed it was providing “surge” support to Australia’s northern waters amid concerns the end of temporary protection visas could encourage people smugglers.

Speaking on 2GB radio, the Opposition Leader said it would be hard to regain control of the borders if the people smuggling trade resumed, accusing Labor of putting “bags and bags of sugar” back on the table.

“It’s been confirmed that the Defence Force has sent assets up into the northern approaches because they’re obviously anticipating boats, either on the water, or the potential of boats to start up again out of Sri Lanka and out of South-East Asia and elsewhere,” Mr Dutton said.

“The Prime Minister went to the last election promising that he would keep our borders strong, and they’re now making decisions to keep and offer permanent residency and citizenship to tens of thousands of people who came when Labor lost control of the borders last time.”

Anthony Albanese also came under fire in question time over revelations the navy was sending more ships and surveillance aircraft to Australia’s northern waters, but said the government was being “tough on borders without being weak on humanity”. The Prime Minister said the government was delivering on its election commitment and that Home Affairs did not advise against the changes to the TPVs. He provided a reassurance the government was “fully committed to Operation Sovereign Borders”.

Mr Albanese took aim at the former Coalition government for sending text messages to Australians about boat arrivals on election day in what he called “one of the most disgraceful manipulations that we have seen in Australian politics”.

Pacific Minister Pat Conroy told the ABC that, under Operation Sovereign Borders, “every single boat is turned back or returned” and that there was “zero chance of resettlement for anyone coming to this country without a visa”.

Speaking at a senate estimates hearing on Wednesday, Vice Admiral David Johnston said the Australian Defence Force had received a formal request from the commander of Operation Sovereign Borders for extra defence assets to patrol Australia’s northern maritime approaches.

The Vice Chief of the Defence Force said the surge support had been in place for the past few weeks. “It is of the nature of additional aircraft surveillance and additional ships that are patrolling in our northern waters,” he said.

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews said the incoming government brief had made clear that TPVs were a “key deterrent measure, a key part of Operation Sovereign Borders”.

“The advice was very clear that TPVs are important for deterrent, and that is what the single biggest issue is,” she told Sky News. “Even if you try and package this up … so a certain group of people will now get the right or the ability to seek permanency here in Australia, you’re still sending a very clear message that the people smugglers will pick up.”

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil last week issued a statement following the visa changes, warning people smugglers that the Defence Force and Operation Sovereign Borders were patrolling borders to intercept unauthorised maritime vessels.

The Australian revealed on Monday that the government was bracing for a potential surge in asylum-seeker boats as it fulfilled its election pledge to end the use of TPVs, paving the way for about 19,000 refugees who arrived by sea to stay permanently in Australia.