Tony Abbott labels the asylum-seeker debate an issue of trust

TONY Abbott has called for Julia Gillard to resign over Labor's asylum-seeker legislation.

Tony Abbott

TONY Abbott has called for Julia Gillard to resign over Labor's migration legislation, saying she has "manifestly failed" to protect Australia's borders.

As debate began in federal parliament on legislation Ms Gillard needs to secure her Malaysian Solution, Mr Abbott framed the offshore processing debate around the issue of trust.

Mr Abbott read statements from Ms Gillard from as far back as 2002 in which she expressed both opposition and support for offshore processing and temporary protection visas, arguing she had expressed “every policy” because “she believes in nothing”.

“Who do you trust, who does this parliament trust? Who does this country trust to stop the boats?” the Opposition Leader said.

“Do you trust the party, the Coalition that did stop the boats, or do you trust the party, the government, that started them up again?”

Mr Abbott said a government which could not protect its borders was a government that was incapable of doing its job.

“A prime minister who is incapable of protecting the borders of our country is a prime minister who has manifestly failed in the highest task she has,' he said.

“Frankly it is a government and prime minister who should resign, not engage in the kind of vituperation that I'm sure we are going to get again and again in this parliament on this matter.”

In a speech that attacked Ms Gillard from the political left and right, Mr Abbott said the Coalition's proposal to revive processing on Nauru would protect the human rights of asylum-seekers and strengthen Australia's borders.

Mr Abbott attacked the proposed Malaysia deal for not offering human rights protections, although he was careful to stress that “Malaysia is a friend, Malaysia is an ally”.

This followed The Australian Online's report that deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop had moved to reassure Malaysia about the importance of the nations' bilateral relationship.

Just 43 per cent of asylum-seekers processed on Nauru had eventually settled in Australia, Mr Abbott said, saying it was proof that the policy worked.

Labor disputes these figures, arguing they include would-be asylum seekers that had eventually chosen to voluntarily return home.

Debate is continuing in the House of Representatives over the legislation, which is aimed at circumventing a High Court ruling declaring the Malaysian refugee swap unlawful.

Not one Labor minister is listed to speak on the amendments, but Mr Abbott and senior Coalition frontbenchers including immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and justice spokesman Michael Keenan will speak on the bill.

Labor changed its tactics on the legislation last night, fast-tracking debate to today rather than waiting until next month to debate the amendments.

Labor's parliamentary secretary Richard Marles said the Coalition's stance represented a “total abandonment of any desire to pursue public policy”.

“They desperately hope that in the pursuit of solving a very complex problem, that this country fails. They are precisely voting for failure.”

Mr Abbott had become a “peddler of rank politics”, he said.

Greens leader Bob Brown repeated his party's opposition to offshore processing.

“We won't be supporting this legislation nor will we be supporting (opposition) amendments,” he said.