Australia faces a looming "diplomatic disaster" with Indonesia over the Abbott government's controversial asylum seeker policies, Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite claims.
His comments came after Indonesian MP Tantowi Yahya on Wednesday labelled the coalition's plan to turn asylum seeker boats back to his country as illegal and offensive.
Mr Thistlethwaite says those comments reflect the Indonesian government's position on the policy.
"This is quickly turning into a diplomatic disaster for the new government," he told Sky News on Thursday.
"The writing's been on the wall on this issue for many, many months now," he added, referring to recent comments from other Indonesian MPs opposing the coalition's policies.
Mr Thistlethwaite said international cooperation was important to getting a good outcome.
"At the moment, the government doesn't have that from Indonesia and it doesn't look like getting it."
Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer said she was confident that Australia's "longstanding and constructive" relationship with Indonesia would continue under Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
"We will be able to together work through these and any other issues that might arise," she said.
Mr Abbott has reportedly asked Australia's ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty to return from Jakarta to brief the National Security Committee of cabinet on the issue of asylum seekers.
The prime minister will travel to Jakarta for a bilateral visit on September 30.
Earlier, a member of Indonesian parliament said the coalition's lack of consultation on asylum seeker policy is offensive.
Factbox: Abbott government's Operation Sovereign Borders policy explained
Tantowi Yahya, who's a member of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Commission, has indicated the one-sided management of people smuggling could cause a rift between the two countries.
Mr Tantowi says the first he and his colleagues knew of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Operation Sovereign Borders was when it appeared in newspapers.
He's told the ABC the policy to turn back the boats is illegal.
"It might be legal in your perspective but in our perspective it might be different story, so I do hope this policy won't be implemented until the Prime Minister Abbott talks about this issue with our foreign minister prior to the APEC conference in Bali."
But Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists he respects Indonesia's sovereignty after an Indonesian MP condemned his plan to turn back asylum seeker boats as illegal and offensive.
Mr Abbott's declined to comment directly on his turn-back plan, saying his government won't conduct discussions with Indonesia through the media.
He added that the coalition "absolutely, totally" respected Indonesia's sovereignty.
"I have no argument with anyone in the Indonesian establishment or parliament," he told reporters in Sydney.
"My argument is with people smugglers and my point to the people smugglers is `the game is up'."
Mr Abbott said he was confident that his government would be able to work effectively with Indonesia, as former coalition governments have done.
