coalition to get tougher on asylum seekers

Source Yahoo News...
The coalition will announce a new border protection policy that will have a three-star general co-ordinating the government response to people smugglers if it wins the election.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and immigration spokesman Scott Morrison are expected to announce the policy in Brisbane on Thursday.

The general would combine the border protection roles of the Immigration department, Customs, Defence and all security agencies, to provide a single chain of command, News Corp Australia newspapers say.

Mr Morrison has told News the taskforce would end the fragmented response to the issue.

"When I say we need to go to war on people smugglers, this is about using the discipline and focus that accompanies military operations to make sure we throw everything we have at this problem. We do it in a co-ordinated way and can respond quickly and decisively to whatever comes back at us," he said.

The new taskforce, to be established within 100 days if the coalition wins the election, would be called Operation Sovereign Borders, and would be scrutinised by cabinet's national security council.

The expected announcement follows Labor's new hardline policy to stop the flow of asylum seeker boats announced last week.

Under the Rudd government's deal with PNG, people arriving by boat will be denied resettlement in Australia, be taken to Manus Island for processing and if their refugee status is approved, resettled in PNG.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke is due on the island on Thursday to see for himself conditions at the centre after speaking with the whistleblower who made the claims.
Dave R.