Opposition arrogant on boats: Bowen

7 Aug 2012, 7:41 pm   -   Source: AAP
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen accused his coalition counterpart of

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen accused his coalition counterpart of "arrogance" ahead of an expert panel's recommendations on asylum seeker policy. (AAP)

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has accused the coalition of "arrogance" for comments ahead of an expert panel's recommendations on asylum seekers.

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The federal government has accused the opposition of "arrogantly" getting ready to ignore the advice of Labor's expert panel on asylum seeker policy - even before its report is handed down.

The panel, headed by former defence chief Angus Houston, is expected this week to suggest how the border-protection deadlock could be broken.

But opposition immigration spokesperson Scott Morrison on Tuesday said the coalition was standing by its policy of processing asylum seekers on Nauru, reintroducing temporary protection visas and getting the navy to turn back boats when it's safe to do so.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Mr Morrison said the expert panel should adopt the same approach, or alternatively recommend an election.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen accused his coalition counterpart of "arrogance" for making the comments ahead of the expert panel releasing its recommendations.

"I think the speech was an unfortunate attempt to pre-empt whatever the expert panel may recommend in the coming week," he told ABC Radio.

"What the Liberal party has said is that they would reject it. They would reject it outright, regardless of its merit, regardless of the evidence the panel presents."

Mr Bowen vowed to keep working with the panel saying: "We will take its recommendations seriously."

The immigration minister attributed an influx of boats since the end of June to people smugglers believing their business model could soon be broken.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard set up the expert panel in June after the parliament failed to pass legislation to restore the government's power to send asylum seekers to third countries.

The government wants to use the powers to resurrect its controversial Malaysian people-swap deal but the coalition wants to limit offshore processing to UN Refugee Convention countries like Nauru.

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