Greens’ Adam Bandt calls for review of ‘universalist’ refugee policy

Adam Bandt calls for review of ‘universalist’ refugee policy, saying Albanese backflip means there’s little difference between Labor, Libs.

The Greens’ Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt fires up during Question Time earlier this year. Photo: AAP

Acting Greens leader Adam Bandt says Labor’s Left is “completely bereft” after Anthony Albanese announced he had changed his mind about boat turnbacks.

Calling for a re-examination of “universalist policies where the government gets involved” and arguing “everyone is entitled to education and welfare”, Mr Bandt said Mr Albanese’s change of heart meant there was now little difference between Labor and the Liberals.

On Tuesday, Mr Albanese conceded the Coalition’s policies “have stopped the boats” during an interview on Sky News, prompting speculation he is preparing the ground to run for the leadership should Labor fare badly in the Super Saturday by-elections at the end of the month.

Mr Bandt said it was clear the Labor Party couldn’t be changed from within.

“It changes you from within,” he told Sky News.

“It means that for refugees, whether Anthony Albanese is prime minister or Malcolm Turnbull is prime minister, you won’t be able to come to Australia, you’ll be stuck in indefinite detention for just as long, and if you do make it here then boats will turn you back at sea, where you’re potentially going to be left to die elsewhere.

“I mean the Labor Left is now completely bereft. You look around the rest of the world and there are people saying, ‘well let’s re-examine some of those universalist policies where the government gets involved and has an approach where everyone is entitled to education and everyone is entitled to welfare’.

“What happens in Australia? The Labor Left’s big idea now is to say, ‘let’s cosy up to big business, let’s turn refugees back when they come here, let’s lock them up indefinitely and let’s refuse to bring them to Australia’. There is now, from the point of view of the issues that matter, very little difference.”

.@AdamBandt: You can't change @AustralianLabor from within, it changes you. For refugees, it doesn't matter if @AlboMP is in charge or @TurnbullMalcolm; you won't be able to come to Australia; you'll be stuck in detention indefinitely.

MORE: https://t.co/uLsbghhkK7 #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/uyWpbV7fTb

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 12, 2018

Mr Bandt called for regional processing in places like Indonesia and Malaysia and an increase in Australia’s refugee intake to 50,000 a year.

“I think that if you have a proper regional solution, you remove the incentive for people to get on a boat, because your choice is then, do I sit and wait knowing that Australia is taking people again — whereas at the moment we’re taking in a very, very small number of people … or do I sort of wait or risk my life by jumping on a boat?

“People don’t tend to risk their life on a boat paying someone they don’t know if there’s an alternative choice, and at the moment we are not providing people with the alternative choice, and that’s what we’ve got to do, and that’s why it’s so disappointing that Labor seems to think the approach is to cuddle up to the Liberals.”

‘We’re going to stop the boats’: Shorten

Labor leader Bill Shorten downplayed Mr Albanese’s change of heart, saying it did not matter whether Labor or the Liberals were in power in terms of border policy.

“We will stop boats and we’ll send a message to the people smugglers, ‘you’re not getting back in business plying your dangerous trade’,” Mr Shorten said.

Asked whether he was concerned about a potential challenge from Mr Albanese, Mr Shorten said: “Not at all”.