Last-minute Labor talks on boat turnbacks

Last-minute Labor talks on boat turnbacks





Labor factional heavyweights are seeking a deal to head off a damaging debate over asylum seeker boat turnbacks.
Labor leader Bill Shorten on Wednesday revealed the party would support the option of boat turnbacks, which he had previously said the opposition would never allow.
It's since been revealed the shadow cabinet had a robust discussion on the issue before Mr Shorten's ABC interview announcing his U-turn.
However, as 400 ALP delegates meet in Melbourne for the party's national conference, some Left faction members were seeking ways to ensure a future Labor government does not allow turnbacks.
A decision on the wording of a resolution was delayed until Saturday morning, before a debate in the conference that afternoon.
Some factional players are arguing the wording of the party platform should be left as open as possible to give a Shorten government policy flexibility.
Others argue the platform should explicitly rule out turnbacks, contrary to Mr Shorten's position.
Mr Shorten is offering to double the humanitarian intake and abolish temporary protection visas but put in place time-limited mandatory detention and continue offshore processing.
Left faction member and shadow minister Penny Wong told reporters there were good people on both sides of the debate.
"No-one wants to see more people die at sea," she said.
"A key issue is obviously can turnbacks be done safely, are they consistent with our international obligations?
"The Abbott government says both of those conditions are being met but they're not prepared to tell Australians how. I think that is really unacceptable."
Shadow treasurer and Right powerbroker Chris Bowen said he expected Mr Shorten's position to prevail.
"On the floor of the conference there will be robust debates and there will be votes. At the end of the day, I expect Bill's position to be supported on the floor of the conference because it's the right position," he said.
Left faction powerbroker Anthony Albanese was coy on the issue, having told colleagues informally on Thursday night the party should not be appealing to the "darker sides" in the debate on asylum seekers.
"I will judge proposals based on the principles I have held on these issues," he told reporters.
Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor said if the party did not get its policy right "we'll see a return to hundreds of people dying at sea".
"That's not acceptable," he said.
"What we'd like to do is ensure that the deterrents in place and I think the leader's made that very clear and I think the Australian public agree."

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/07/24/last-minute-labor-talks-boat-turnbacks