Anthony Albanese has sought to clarify his position on offshore detention, after a shaky answer left him being slammed by senior Liberals.
On Thursday morning, Mr Albanese was questioned about his support for boat turn-backs and offshore detention.
He claimed Labor “wouldn’t need” the offshore centres because the party would be successful in deterring “illegal” migrants.
“Turning boats back means that you don't need offshore detention,” Mr Albanese said.
His claim left he Prime Minister fuming, with Scott Morrison describing Mr Albanese as a “complete weather vane” on the issue.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton called it a “significant watershed moment”.
Mr Albanese clarified his party’s position at his secoxjmtzywnd stop of the day.
“(Offshore processing) was established in 2013 when I was the Deputy Prime Minister. I was asked today about boat turn-backs and our position is clear,” he said.
“We continue to support them.”
When pressed further on what he actually meant to say earlier, he said it was the “preference” to not need offshore detention because ideally, the boat turn-backs would be so successful.
“At the moment, there aren’t people who have gone into offshore detention in recent times because the boats have been turned back, it’s been effective,” Mr Albanese said.
As to whether Labor would keep offshore detention in, Mr Albanese responded: “Yes”.
The questions around asylum seekers and boat turn backs comes in the wake of the United Kingdom overnight announcing a five-year refugee resettlement deal and endorsement of boat turn-backs.
The Labor leader was asked: “If people smugglers seek to take advantage of an incoming Labor government and send more boats, will you be tough on boat turn backs and will you consider an offshore resettlement deal?”
“We will turn boats back,” Mr Albanese responded.
“Turning boats back means you don’t need offshore detention.”
Mr Morrison hit out at Mr Albanese’s position on border protection at his own press conference, slamming him for having held “every position possible”.
“He has supported everything he has opposed, and he has opposed everything that he has supported,” Mr Morrison said.
“Anthony Albanese said that he could not ask someone to do something that he couldn’t do, and he was saying that meant boat turn backs.
“I designed the boat turn back policy. I implemented it. I stood up to criticism day after day after day.
“I stood firm on that policy … It worked.
“I’ll tell you who knows who I am, the people smugglers.”
Mr Dutton, who was live on radio when he heard Mr Albanese’s comments for the first time, said he was “stunned” that Labor would “change its position”.
The defence minister labelled it a “significant watershed moment” for the Labor Party.
“I doubt that he said that,” he said at first, not seeming to believe 2GB’s Ray Hadley.
Mr Dutton said it would be a remarkable departure from Labor on the issue.
“If that’s what he has said, that is a weakening of the policy that even Julia Gillard had,” he said.
“If Anthony Albanese said that now, you would expect the people smugglers to be jumping for joy … in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and Vietnam because that’s actually a very dangerous statement he’s made this morning.
“He already doesn’t support temporary protection visas, which underpins the whole Operation Sovereign Borders. And the regional processing is a key element of the policy as well. You can’t just turn people around.
“I’m really stunned by that.”
It is the second major backdown for Mr Albanese this week, after he could not answer a question about key economic figures.
After a rocky start to the six-week campaign, Mr Albanese was notably more upbeat on Thursday as he once again pitched Labor’s healthcare policies in the Labor-held seat of Hunter.
Mr Albanese stood alongside hand-picked candidate Daniel Repacholi – who is seeking to take over from retiring incumbent Joel Fitzgibbon – and outlined his plan for better healthcare in the region.
Mr Albanese was further touting the $135m urgent care program he unveiled on Wednesday, to create 50 clinics aiming to keep people out of emergency departments.
The first clinic would be built in Cessnock.
