On the first formal day of the 2016 election campaign Ms Ismail - who has joked that she "looks like a Green" and is trying to win back the prized seat of Melbourne from the Greens' Adam Bandt - also said Treasurer Scott Morrison should "absolutely" apologise to charity organisation Save the Children. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten with Labor's candidate for Melbourne, Sophie Ismail. Credit:Penny Stephens Ms Ismail, who faces a tough fight to win back the former Labor stronghold, vowed to be a progressive voice inside the ALP caucus in the mould of retiring Fremantle MP Melissa Parke and suggested Australia may be in breach of its international legal obligations by processing asylum seekers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Ms Parke and four other Labor MPs recently criticised the offshore processing of asylum seekers on Manus Island in the wake of a PNG Supreme Court ruling that found the Manus Island detention centre was illegal, prompting Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to say it would be closed. Mr Shorten has promised to continue the Coalition's policy of turning back asylum seeker boats if Labor is elected, a policy adopted at the 2015 Labor Party conference.

But in a direct contradiction of party policy, Ms Ismail told Fairfax Media: "I have concerns about turn-backs, I don't think they should be on the table. When people arrive by boat, and 90 per cent of them are genuine refugees, turning them back to places not signed up to the refugee convention is a problem." Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Cairns on Monday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "I think the PNG ruling obviously casts doubt on the whole situation, it's time to review the Pacific Solution and move towards a decent and humane approach that fully complies with out international legal obligations. "These people [on Manus Island] need to be processed immediately and resettled. Their indefinite detention in unsafe conditions is clearly in breach of a number of our obligations and has to end. "I have grave concerns about the ability of Manus and Nauru to provide safety for these people."

Asked directly if the asylum seekers on PNG should be brought to Australia and processed, Ms Ismail said: "I think they do need to be processed, whether in Australia or somewhere else." I have concerns about turnbacks, I don't think they should be on the table Campaigning in Queensland, Mr Shorten said the ALP had publicly debated its policy last year and that "Labor's policy is clear. We will not put the people smugglers back into business" while dismissing suggestions he led a divided team. "When it comes to people smugglers and turn-backs and not having onshore processing by people who are smuggled here by criminal syndicates, we are not for turning on our policy," he said. "Our candidates are good candidates. I'm proud of my united Labor team but I'm clear what the policy is, as is my team."

Mr Dutton said Ms Ismail's comments brought to six the number of Labor MPs and candidates who "have openly revolted against Bill Shorten on border protection". The other five are Ms Parke, Lisa Singh, Anna Burke, Jill Hall and Sue Lines. "This is eerily similar to the situation that occurred for Kevin Rudd when he tried to be tough on borders but he could not bring his party with him," Mr Dutton told Fairfax Media. "Under Labor we saw 50,000 people come on boats, 800 boats and 1200 people drown at sea. Bill Shorten has to show leadership and discipline these candidates because the Australian public don't believe Labor has the ability to keep the boats stopped." - With Nicole Hasham, James Robertson, Matthew Knott Follow us on Twitter