Critics of the new Abbott government say Australia's backdown from a stalemate with Indonesia over the turn-around of an asylum-seeker boat signals a crack in the government's border protection policy.
They also say the policy is damaging the relationship between Indonesia and Australia .
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Over the weekend, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison was forced to end to a stand-off where a likely asylum-seeker boat carrying more than 50 people had been intercepted by Australian authorities off the coast of Java.
Indonesia refused requests for the passengers to be taken ashore, leaving the people in limbo at sea under the watch of the Australian navy.
On two recent occasions, Indonesia has agreed to such requests and helped with an on-water transfer, but in the latest case, Indonesia said it would review the situation, and then declined to help.
An Indonesian government spokesman says Indonesia was reluctant to accept the passengers because the boat was in working order when detected and those aboard were not in danger.
The boat's passengers have now been transferred to Christmas Island, and any asylum-seekers will be sent to an offshore processing centre.
With elections looming in Indonesia, the move has added pressure to a diplomatic relationship already strained after revelations that Australia has spied on Indonesia.
Professor of Security from the Australian National University Michael Wesley says he thinks the new federal government will try to ride out the growing diplomatic storm.
"I think they are planning to just ride out this controversy and hoping for a return to business as usual, which I would expect would occur. The Indonesians can't take this so-called review of cooperation too far simply because they get a lot out of the cooperation - not only with Australia but also the United States - and I don't think they are going to want to throw that away."
The federal Opposition is accusing the government of hiding behind the military to avoid answering tough questions on border protection.
The government continues to refuse to comment on operational matters relating to the latest boat interception, giving details only at its weekly border protection press conference, and usually leaving General Angus Campbell to field questions from journalists.
(General) "I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters, thank you."
(Journalist) "General, this is a matter of great public interest."
(General) "I will not comment further in relation on-water matters."
(Journalist) "Have they been -?"
(General ) "I will not comment further in relation to on-water matters. I think we have dealt with that question."
Deputy Opposition leader Tanya Plibersek says it's clear the boats are not being turned back as promised and the government is trying to cover it up.
She accuses the government of damaging Australia's relationship with Indonesia in just eight weeks, setting a record for getting things wrong.
Ms Plibersek says this is demonstrated by the fact Indonesia's Vice President will visit Australia later in the week but neither Tony Abbott or the Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet him.
Instead she says Vice President Boediono is only scheduled to meet deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.
"It's absolutely vital that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister make every effort to sort out our relationship with Indonesia. They've taken a series of very poor steps, most particularly before the election making all sorts of claims about what they'd be able to do in Indonesian waters and on Indonesian land. Obviously that's not the case now, obviously they've been repudiated by the Indonesian governemnt."
But Tony Abbott insists the Coalition's plan to stop the boats is working despite the setbacks.
And he says the relationship between Australia and Indonesia is strengthening
"We said that we'd stop the boats and while they have not yet stopped, they are slowing and they are stopping and we will have setbacks and we will have disappointments but we will succeed because the test of a sovereign country and a sovereign government is its ability to control its borders. We have good relations with Indonesia, good and improving relations with Indonesia, but we will stop these boats."
The episode demonstrates the ongoing challenge of managing the Indonesia relationship.
And Professor Wesley says there are real challenges ahead, particularly after next year's presidential and parliamentary elections in Indonesia.
"Look I think we should be vigilant about the election in Indonesia. We need to be very clear that that we have been lucky with SBY. We've been lucky with his predecessors as well. and, you know, all runs of luck come to an end and we might find that there is a much less Western-aligned president that comes to power next time and it will be a difficult task to manage that."
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the cooperation between the two countries in areas such as people-smuggling and counter-terrorism is of mutual benefit and of mutual advantage to both countries, and that will continue to be the case.
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