Australian Immigration Daily News

Migration Alliance members will be interested to learn that the 'tow-backs' has had a policy setback.

Opposition Minister Hon Richard Marles MP says it is a 'debacle'. This morning on Sky News National with Peter Van Onselen, Marles has said, 'Tow-backs are not happening. This isn't rocket science,  foreign relations isn't rocket science'.  

Marles goes on to say that there seems to be no cooperation with Indonesia.  'It was inevitably going to fail which is what we saw yesterday.  Turning back the boats was always a furphy'.

Marles talks about the Coalition's current approach saying 'All of these are being done in a  way which is trying to dictate terms. '

The reason that there has been a reduction in boats is due to the PNG arrangements which was in place introduced by the Rudd government.  July 19th 2013 was the change point, not September.  

Marles says that 'it is not the Coalition being there that is having an effect.  It is the PNG arrangement which has stopped the flow in boats.  Marles says 'It is beyond debate'.  

This is a difficult area of policy.  It is moving and it has moved since the Howard government was in place. We can't be stuck in a time warp.  What might have worked when Howard was in government in 2002 might not work today in 2013.  We can't apply new policy which is a replica of the same policy which was in place in 2002.  Marles says that the policy 'needs to evolve'.

Marles goes on to say 'Labor came up with it.  Labor negotiated it with PNG.'

He insists that 'what we have now is a government which promised to 'turn back the boats'.  No boats have been turned back.  No boats have been bought.

He points out that the word 'Operation' is dropped in as many times as possible within a 30 min briefing by Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison MP.  He also says that the word 'illegals' can also be used relentlessly but the reality is that the PNG solution is what is really working.

Marles goes on to say that 'what we have seen in the last 24 hours.... anyone who votes for a government who thought that government had a firm hand on the rudder will be sorely disappointed. Anyone who thinks that the coalition has done what it says it will'....... will be disappointed. 

Marles goes on to say that there are gaps in the labor market and that overseas skilled workers are required.  457 visas play that role.  Marles says that 457 visas can be abused which is why Labor put in the protections it did.  He states that 457 visas boost the economy and jobs market.  

'This is our history from the second world war.  The mass immigration movement was backed by the union movement at the time, which has characterized modern Australia today.'