We must restore confidence: Tony Abbott

AUSTRALIA will not be able to address population growth and immigration expansion properly until public confidence has been restored.

AUSTRALIA will not be able to address population growth and immigration expansion properly until public confidence has been restored.

This would happen through cuts in migrant numbers and border control, according to Tony Abbott.

The Opposition Leader has declared that the public will be prepared to see an expansion in immigration numbers if they are confident the immigration intake, asylum-seekers and border protection are all rigorously controlled by the government in "Australia's national interest".

Mr Abbott, in an interview with The Australian yesterday, said the public supported high immigration under the Howard government because it believed it was being tightly controlled.

"People want to be confident that whatever is happening is being strictly controlled by the Australian government and is being rigorously done in Australia's national interests," Mr Abbott said.

"If they are confident that's what is happening I think they are quite happy to see a substantial immigration program because that's what we had in the latter half of the Howard government."

Mr Abbott has promised to cut the immigration intake to 170,000 and only allow increases based on economic growth and needs.

He conceded that his policy to "turn back the boats" of people-smugglers was an option that could not always be carried out because of fears the boats would sink.

"You have to have that as an option; you have to stop the boats, that's the important thing," Mr Abbott said. "I don't think we should be in the business of ruling out things that worked in the past."

He conceded that "safety at sea" and any potential danger to Australian Customs or navy personnel had to take priority when deciding to turn back an illegal boat entry.

"You couldn't do it all the time, the boat would have to be seaworthy and it would have to be secured and you would have an agreement with the country from where the boat has come and they would have to accept it back.

"They would be the three conditions that would have to be met."

But the Liberal leader insisted his policy of immediately opening an offshore processing centre on the Pacific island of Nauru was an essential part of a mix of measures to "stop the boats" run by people-smugglers.

"Basically it says to people: don't think that just because you can get within cooee of Australia you are actually going to make it. It adds to the degree of difficulty in getting to Australia," he said.

On the question of eventually expanding immigration, after his planned reductions that are in line with the Labor government's projections, Mr Abbott said it could not happen until there was confidence in the system.

"Under the Howard government, immigration had more popular support than at any other recent time and that was because we had a strong economy, secure borders and a prime minister people trusted to pursue an 'Australia first' approach to these things."

Mr Abbott said it was also important for immigrants to become "one of the team" no matter what their cultural or religious background. "It's important for everyone to join the team regardless of where they come from and regardless of what religion or culture they bring to this country. It's just as true for migrants from the United Kingdom as it is for migrants from Afghanistan," he said. "Everyone joins the team in their own way and at their own pace. It is a good thing that we are not prescriptive about this. It means a preparedness to live under Australian law and it means an acceptance of democratic pluralism."