PM to claim Bill Shorten wants to wind back policies to deter asylum boats in National Press Club speech

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Scott Morrison will add national security and law and order to the economy in the Coalition’s intensifying battle with Labor ahead of the election, using a major speech to claim Bill Shorten wants to wind back punitive deterrence measures to repel asylum boats, and has to be “dragged” to supporting terrorism legislation.

With federal parliament set to resume this week, and with the major parties on a campaign footing, the prime minister will use a National Press Club address on Monday to release the government’s plan “to keep Australians safe secure” – a rhetorical outing building on an economic speech he delivered at the end of January contending Labor posed a risk to economic growth.

Morrison’s political blast on border protection comes as Labor will be briefed by agencies on the consequences of a crossbench bill on medical transfers, before gathering for the first caucus meeting of the year. Guardian Australia understands Monday’s security briefing will include government staffers, a move one senior Labor source described as “unusual”.

With the Coalition in attack mode, desperate to avoid losing a vote on the floor of the parliament this week, Shorten has been signalling for days Labor could look to compromise on the medical transfers issue rather than support the bill it supported last year, although compromising too far risks a caucus revolt.

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The crossbench bill, which passed the Senate late last year but didn’t reach the House because of prolonged filibustering by government senators and Cory Bernardi, would give doctors more say in who needed to be transferred, although the minister maintains discretion in blocking evacuations on national security grounds.

The Morrison government has been behind in the opinion polls, but Coalition MPs are buoyed by a recent tightening in the Newspoll and Guardian Essential. The prime minister wants to frame the looming election contest around the economy and security – two issues where the Coalition is normally dominant.

Morrison’s speech on Monday, according to excerpts circulated by his office in advance, ramps up the security rhetoric, contending Labor will wind back deterrence. “Operation Sovereign Borders has been one of Australia’s greatest national security policy successes,” Morrison will say.

“As the architect, I know what compromise and poorly thought-through change can do to this policy.

“Labor proposed to do both, again. They have learned nothing from their failures.

“Our successful border protection framework has three core elements: firstly, the denial of permanent residence and therefore citizenship to people who illegally enter Australia. This was achieved by the restoration of temporary protection visas. Labor has promised to abolish these.

“Secondly, regional processing of people who seek to illegally enter Australia. This is conducted at the Nauru regional processing facilities. Labor have already voted in the Senate to undermine these arrangements by removing authority for transfer to Australia from the government. They will abolish regional processing as we know it.

“And thirdly, disrupting people-smuggling activities through the supply chain, using a web of intelligence and regional cooperation and the physical turnback of the boats. Operation Sovereign Borders has worked and delivered a human dividend that is compassionate and fair … our plan is simple. We won’t change it. Labor will.”

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Morrison will also accuse Labor of being “soft” when it comes to cancelling the visas of “dangerous criminals”.

Despite Labor supporting the major tranches of national security reforms, and the parliament’s intelligence committee having a solid record in collaborating, including sometimes fixing up mistakes the government has made in drafting, Morrison on Monday will allege Labor needs to be “dragged” to support national security legislation designed to combat terrorism.

“Every time, Labor is dragged to support this vital legislation,” Morrison will say.

“They’re always looking to weaken, delay and frustrate and then claim bipartisanship. We’re not on the same page.”

The speech will also highlight the government’s $200bn defence spend, its moves to shore up relations with Indo-Pacific neighbours and increased police powers to deal with domestic and cyber threats as proof of its national security credentials.

The speech will also reference hot-button issues in the community related to law enforcement – domestic violence, the cyberbulling and grooming of children online, and the ice epidemic, which is a major issue, particularly in regional Australia.

Morrison will pledge $60m for emergency accommodation and $18m of continued support for state and territory governments to keep women and children safe in their homes.

Both Christopher Pyne and David Coleman spent Sunday arguing the medical evacuation amendments would lead to “almost all” the 1,000 or so asylum seekers and refugees in Australia’s care on Manus Island and Nauru using the changes to be transferred to the mainland.

But they dodged answering whether that meant they were all ill enough to require transfer, or how asylum seekers and refugees would be able to game an independent health panel put together by Border Force.

The government has also committed to establishing an independent health panel to advise the minister on medical evacuations, while maintaining ultimate authority on who was moved to Australia for treatment.

Neither minister could explain how that panel would be different to the one advising on whether transfers were necessary in the wake of conflict between doctors and the minister under the crossbench amended legislation. Instead, Pyne argued the point was the government “had stopped the boats”.

On Sunday, Labor’s immigration and border protection spokesman, Shayne Neumann, said the opposition “has always had two clear objectives – making sure sick people can get medical care and making sure the minister has final discretion over medical transfers”.

“Labor has great respect for our national security agencies and we’ve always worked cooperatively with them. While the Liberals leak national security information, we listen to it,” he said.

“The Liberals have sunk to a new low by threatening to let the boats start again. They are walking, talking billboards for the people smugglers and they should be ashamed of themselves.

“Labor will never let the people smugglers back into business.”

Crossbench MPs including Kerryn Phelps and Tim Storer have urged Labor not to “cave” to the government’s “scare tactics” on the legislation, while GetUp will launch a new TV commercial on Monday, featuring doctors urging the parliament to pass the legislation.