Election 2022: Scott Morrison sinks in the boots on boats

Scott Morrison has used his first visit to WA during the election campaign to put asylum-seeker boats and border protection policy at the centre of the political debate.

Scott Morrison at a Bunnings t store in Perth on Monday. Picture: Jason Edwards

Scott Morrison has used his first visit to Western Australia during the election campaign to put asylum-seeker boats and border protection policy at the centre of the political debate.

Moving to capitalise on Anthony Albanese’s gaffes on border policy, the Prime Minister said a Labor government would result in asylum seeker boats returning to Australia.

He said a $124m investment in patrol boats in WA would be part of the federal government’s border protection strategy.

“I just don’t buy it from Labor. I don’t buy it that they are strong on border protection,” he said at a shipping yard in Perth.

Mr Morrison – who created Operation Sovereign Borders when he was immigration minister – leapt on Mr Albanese’s confirmation that Labor would abolish temporary protection visas, saying it was the beginning of the failed border policies of the Rudd government.

“In August of 2008, Kevin Rudd abolished temporary protection visas. That was the green light to Labor’s border protection failures,” Mr Morrison said.

“That was the day they said people smugglers are in business and from that day on, the boats came and they just kept coming and they just kept coming. And people kept on drowning. And Labor had no credibility answers.

“So I am just amazed that after all of this time, Anthony Albanese is saying that he would abolish temporary protection visas if he were to become prime minister. After all of this time, Labor has learnt nothing when it comes to border protection.”

Mr Morrison visited the Henderson shipping yard in the electorate of Fremantle, held by Labor MP Josh Burns and unlikely to change hands. He also visited a Bunnings Warehouse in the electorate of Cowan, held by Labor MP Anne Aly on a margin of 0.9 per cent, and went to the seat of Pearce – held by outgoing Liberal MP Christian Porter on a margin of 5.2 per cent – and promised a $1.6m upgrade to a BMX track.

Labor is targeting the seats of Pearce, Swan and Hasluck in WA, hoping to capitalise on the strength of the party brand in the state and the unpopularity of Mr Morrison.

Mr Morrison has visited WA three times in the past five weeks and talked up his relationship with popular Premier Mark McGowan in an effort to lift his standing in the state, where the government holds 10 of 15 seats.

“I want to ensure that WA continues to be an economic powerhouse in this country,” he said. “It is why I’m always here supporting the resources industry, that’s why I’m always here trying to ensure we’re cutting the red tape and green tape that can frustrate the resources industry here in Western Australia.”