PM poised for new asylum-seeker talks

THE Gillard government is poised for  fresh negotiations with the opposition over a bipartisan agreement on offshore refugee processing.

THE Gillard government is poised to propose a fresh series of negotiations with the opposition in an effort to come to a bipartisan agreement on offshore refugee processing following the East Java boat tragedy.

The Australian Online understands a series of private letters have been exchanged between Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott on the issue in the past week.

It's understood Immigration Minister Chris Bowen will make an announcement at 10am designed to break the impasse.

Until now, the government has insisted the Coalition agree to legislative changes to allow its Malaysia Solution, while the opposition has refused to agree, arguing for a Howard-era suite of measures centring on refugee processing on Nauru.