Federal Oppositon Leader Tony Abbott says people who come to Australia by boat won't get access to legal aid if he becomes prime minister.



Mr Abbott's outlined details of a new coalition policy, which would deny free government advice to asylum seekers lodging claims and launching appeals.



He says Australians would be "appalled" to learn that $40 million will be spent this financial year on legal aid for people who've arrived illegally in the country.

The new policy will apply to new arrivals and asylum seekers already in Australia.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says asylum seeker boat arrivals will still be able to access legal advice under the plan, but private pro-bono lawyers and legal aid commissions would have to pay for it.

"If people want to provide legal advice or migration advice they can do so at their expense and I'll be sure there will be some who will seek to do that," Mr Morrison says. "So no-one is being denied access to representation, it's just that they're being denied to the taxpayer being on the hook for it."

He rejected claims the plan could be seen as cruel.

"I don't think it is (cruel) at all. What I think is cruel is a policy that was put in place by Kevin Rudd that led to over 50,00 people turning up illegally by boat.

"That resulted in over 1100 people dead. That resulted in 15,000 people waiting in camps all around the world. that didn't get a visa they otherwise would have got, had the Coaliton's policies been in place."

But the Refugee Action Coalition says the federal coalition's policy to deny legal aid for asylum seeker boat arrivals is despicable.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul has told SBS the policy is just designed to grab a few votes.



"There is no possible rationale for making the process more difficult and more complicated and more fraught which is why legal assistance was put in place in the first place because unless claims are properly prepared," Mr Rintoul says.



"It simply means they're more complicated, more difficult and take a more protracted period before they can be resolved so what possible use is creating a much greater obstacle to becoming residents and becoming citizens. It makes no sense at all and I think it's very likely to backfire on the coalition if they should ever be in a position to put this into practice."

The coalition aims to save $100 million over four years by denying asylum seekers free government advice on lodging claims and launching appeals.

The move would go some way towards stopping the open tab available for those arriving on boats, the coalition said.