"A retired senior Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officer has hit out at the Federal Government's stop the boats policy as "morally corrupt and totally indefensible".
Captain John Ingram was recognised in yesterday's Australia Day honours for his decades of work supporting the Indo-Chinese community, and also for leading a naval rescue of 99 asylum seekers from a sinking boat.
He says he has an issue with the hardline approach of the Government and "the fact that RAN sailors are (now) being used for political purposes".
"And turning back boats on the open sea and pursuing towards Indonesia, which happened just recently, is not the naval way of doing things."
Mr Ingram says growing anger and confusion within Navy ranks was further exacerbated last week by reports of alleged mistreatment of asylum seekers aboard a boat intercepted by the Navy."
