‘Blinky’ Bill Shorten forced to back-pedal in borders backdown

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Canberra yesterday. Picture: Kym Smith

Bill Shorten has blinked so hard on border protection he could have his eyes closed for days.

The Opposition Leader was forced into a humiliating back-down on a bill Labor supported and voted for in the Senate in December when Scott Morrison called him out for undermining Australia’s offshore border protection policy and reopening the people-smuggler’s trade.

Security forces said the same thing. Because of internal pressure from Labor’s Left, Shorten couldn’t admit there had been a mistake and simply move on, he had to back down but he couldn’t back out completely.

As a result, Labor is now conceding the amendments are flawed, have to be changed and have to ensure ministerial discretion is paramount but they have to be passed to satisfy demands for compassion.

The Prime Minister’s response is that there is no need for any changes, particularly for any changes that underscore existing laws, and any changes the parliament makes will send Australia’s border protection “backwards”. What was meant to be a parliamentary moment of do-or-die for the Coalition government has turned into a day of dread and drama for Labor, which is torn between the competing demands of maintaining border protection and of acting “compassionately”.

In truth, there doesn’t have to be a choice and compassion has different measures but Shorten and Labor have suffered real damage as parliament resumes for the election year.

Morrison is playing to the Coalition’s traditional strengths.

Shorten is being forced to plaster over Labor’s traditional divisions in the first real setback for an ascendant ALP.