Scott Morrison plays the best political game of all

Scott Morrison with Bill Shorten and Richard Di Natale in the Prime Minister’s office today. Picture: Gary Ramage.

Scott Morrison has grabbed an opportunity to play to the Coalition’s strength on border protection, target Bill Shorten as “risky” on national security and underline that a Labor government’s plans won’t be blocked in the Senate.

The Prime Minister has also been able to make declarations and take stands on border protection and immigration that Malcolm Turnbull could never have adopted.

He’s faced with having amendments to offshore processing of asylum seekers forced upon the minority government in the Senate and House of Representatives where Labor, the Greens and independents can combine.

While accusing the Opposition Leader of playing political games, Morrison played the best political game of all and claimed all he was doing was protecting successful policy in stopping the boats.

Border protection and national security remain a Coalition strength and a source of friction and tension for the Opposition leader under pressure from the Greens campaigning to end offshore processing and the left of his own party, while needing to appeal to voters in regional and suburban areas who support tough border protection.

It’s Shorten’s nightmare of trying to appeal simultaneously to inner-city Melbourne and regional Queensland and Morrison didn’t miss the opportunity.

Morrison said the amendments being proposed to shift people from Nauru and Manus on the say-so of a doctor was the end of offshore processing.

As the Immigration Minister charged with meeting Tony Abbott’s 2013 promise to “stop the boats” Morrison is on firm ground when he says he knows any change in legislation would be misrepresented by people smugglers and they would be “selling tickets again”.

Accusing Shorten of not having “the mettle” to hold firm on border protection and personally appealing for “Bill don’t do it” Morrison keep true to his promise to personalise the election campaign and promote his own position by saying “I will fight them on this,” and “I will never move”.

Even if the government loses on the floor of the House — which seems technically difficult before parliament ends for 2018 — Morrison has now set a new standard on his strongest ground when the Liberals were at their weakest.