Labor has backed away from its attack on the government over payments made to people smugglers, amid suggestions it took similar action when in power.
The opposition on Monday attempted to censure Prime Minister Tony Abbott over reports that Australian officials paid $US30,000 to five asylum seeker boat crew to turn back to Indonesia.
But on Tuesday the opposition found itself on the back foot, declining to ask any questions about the issue in the lower house and refusing to say what covert action the former Labor government took.
Mr Abbott says he's "absolutely confident" Australian agencies had acted within the law at all times.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor governments never paid people smugglers to turn boats around, but refused to say whether the practice was used on land in Indonesia.
"Labor has never paid people smugglers to turn back boats as it appears the government has done," he said.
"If you are going to security matters about what happens elsewhere ... we simply don't comment."
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan asylum seeker has claimed crew members on his boat took money from Australian officials to turn back to Indonesia then tried to run away when they reached land.
Video of the man, taken by a Reuters cameraman on June 4, two days after the vessel's return to Indonesia, shows him with other asylum seekers in Kupang.
The Reuters video, posted on the Guardian Australia website, was only released on Tuesday.
"The people who brought us took the money, the money given by Australia's customs officers," he says, according to translated sub-titles.
"When they came back to us they said they will bring us back to Indonesia."
When the boat approached Rote Island, the smugglers tried to run away, he said.
"They were holding the money so they tried to run."
In the latest development in Australia, the Senate has demanded the government produce documents showing whether the money was paid.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young won upper house support for a motion requesting documents showing if any money was paid to people aboard vessels en route to Australia, the amount, to whom and for what purpose.
"The Australian public have a right to know what has occurred, how much money has been spent and who in the government authorised payments to be made," she said in a statement.
The government has until 3pm on Wednesday to respond.
Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla has said if Australia paid people smugglers to return asylum seekers to his country, that would amount to bribery and possibly even people trafficking.
The Australian Federal Police, auditor-general and Indonesian authorities are all assessing the claim.
Share
