An Indonesian official has accused Australia's Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop, of promoting an arrogant policy on asylum seekers.

Ms Bishop has been in Jakarta for meetings with top officials including the deputy chairman of Indonesia's parliament, Hajriyanto Thohari.

Mr Thohari says the Coalition's policy to send asylum seeker boats back where possible is unfair on Indonesia.

He says he told Ms Bishop that Australian policy on asylum seekers should be more humane and he has accused her of being arrogant in explaining the Coalition's position.

"In my opinion, that view is a view that is solely focused on Australia's perspective, without considering Indonesia at all as the country that experiences the negative impacts of the illegal immigrant issue," he said.

Ms Bishop says during their meeting she emphasised the need to cooperate with Indonesia whenever a boat is to be returned.

"We had a very robust discussion about a whole range of things," she said.

"I also explained that we had concerns about the syndicates here in Indonesia, and I left the meeting very confident that I'd made our position clear and he'd raised a whole number of issues with me that I believe that I'd answered."

Ms Bishop knows Indonesia is critical to Australia's interests, and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says if he is elected prime minister he will head to Indonesia within a week to lay out his plan to send asylum seeker boats back.

The chairman of the Indonesian parliament, Taufik Kiemas, would not comment on his meeting with Ms Bishop because he headed home for a nap and did not want to be disturbed.

But his deputy says Australia's asylum seeker policy is already too tough.

"I told her that we object when Australia acts in a rigid and very legalistic and formal way," Mr Thohari said.

"Especially when we see it from a humanitarian perspective."

Warmer reception

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 37 seconds 3 m 37 s Indonesia attacks Coalition asylum policy during Bishop visit Download 1.7 MB

The reception for Ms Bishop at Indonesia's foreign ministry was much warmer.

Urbane foreign minister Marty Natalegawa called the policy of returning boats "unworkable" but Ms Bishop was determined to win him over.

"This is an opportunity for me to explain what we're seeking to do and we have worked very closely when in government in the past with Indonesia and we intend to do so again," she said.

Conscious Ms Bishop could well be Australia's next foreign minister, Mr Natalegawa remained diplomatic and expressed gratitude for the chance to hear how the Coalition's plan might work.

But he still sounds unconvinced.

"In practice, the responsibility of governance can be quite... enlightening in terms of how to promote relations," he said.

"But I mean we've enjoyed such a close, friendly relations with Australia, irrespective of different shades of political opinion in the country, and I have every confidence that the future similarly offers that kind of prospect."

Ms Bishop also met former Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda who was in office when the Howard government ran a limited tow-back policy.

But Ms Bishop passed up the chance to explore the issue with him.