Labor plays with fire on boats

As Bill Shorten prepares to shift ground on the medivac bill, with possible changes to be discussed at shadow cabinet and caucus today, Scott Morrison’s decision not to compromise has put Labor out on a limb over border protection. Opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann tried to hedge Labor’s bets yesterday, saying he wanted sick people to get medical care while ensuring “the minister has final discretion”. But he cannot deny Department of Home Affairs costings showing taxpayers would face a bill of at least $1.4 billion to reopen the Christmas Island detention centre and fund the cost of transfers if the medivac bill passes. Offshore processing would be effectively dismantled.

Yesterday, Mr Neumann also made the flawed claim that if Peter Dutton had negotiated other third country resettlement options, vulnerable people would not be languishing in indefinite detention and needing medical transfers. In office, Labor struggled to finalise such arrangements with Malaysia and East Timor; the Coalition did so with Donald Trump. By far the better option, however, is to prevent people-smugglers remarketing their treacherous services by ensuring the medivac bill championed by independent MP Kerryn Phelps is defeated.

About 8000 asylum-seeker children were detained under Labor in office. The last of them have just left for the US. The Coalition has closed 19 detention centres. The best way to prevent further children and adults being detained is to maintain Operation Sovereign Borders in its entirety. Labor, regrettably, is already committed to dismantling one of its pillars — temporary protection visas. The Opposition Leader’s handling of the medivac bill will be a test of how resolute he would be as prime minister in maintaining border protection, regardless of pleas from within Labor and pressures from the Greens and independents to relax the system.

The Prime Minister, as the architect of Operation Sovereign Borders, will expand on his position at the National Press Club today. He is not for turning on the issue. Nor should Labor be.