Labor's new Home Affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally has criticised Peter Dutton for allowing the number of asylum seekers arriving by plane to blow out as she defends her credentials on border security.
Labor Leader Anthony Albanese unveiled details of his frontbench on Sunday, introducing a shadow Home Affairs portfolio for the first time and appointing Senator Keneally to the role.
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"As an immigrant myself, I am proud of the multicultural character of Australia, and will look to uphold, enhance and celebrate what it means to be an Australian citizen," Senator Keneally tweeted.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was quick to attack his new rival, claiming she was far from Labor's first choice for the role given her previous statements on border protection.
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"Because, when you look at all that she has said over a number of years, there couldn't be anyone less qualified in the Labor party to be the Home Affairs shadow minister," Mr Dutton told reporters on Sunday.
He said he expected Senator Keneally, who called Mr Dutton the "most toxic man in Australian politics" during the election campaign, to continue her "very spiteful, very nasty and very personal" attacks against him.
The former NSW premier vowed to apply a "blow torch" to the government's border security regime and took aim at Mr Dutton over the number of asylum seekers arriving by plane, rather than boats.
“Peter Dutton has in fact allowed people smugglers to evolve their business model from using boats to using planes,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Kristina Keneally has criticised Peter Dutton for allowing the number of people arriving by plane seeking asylum to blow out.
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