Senior government officials implementing Operation Sovereign Borders will risk being in contempt of the Senate if they can't justify the government's secret approach to its asylum seeker policies, the Greens say.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says a scheduled Senate inquiry next month will be a chance to uncover key information about the government's approach to boat arrivals.
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She says operation commander Lieutenant General Angus Campbell and the heads of the immigration department and the defence forces will be required to appear before the inquiry and justify the secrecy provisions put in place.
"They will have to answer questions that Tony Abbott [the prime minister] and Scott Morrison [immigration minister] are too afraid to front the media and answer themselves," Senator Hanson-Young said on Friday.
"The will have to justify why it is government policy that they can't tell the Australian people what's going on.
"It should be Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison answering those questions, but they're too gutless."
Senator Hanson-Young said if the Senate refused to accept the explanations of those appearing before the inquiry, they could then be found to be in contempt.
"It then comes down to a constitutional battle effectively between the powers of the parliament to require this information and the arrogance and secrecy of the executive," she said.