Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the government's new proposal to amend the Migration Act is inferior to the previous version and the Coalition will present its proposed changes to the Migration Act.
"This will restore offshore processing, while retaining offshore protections," he told reporters. "It's a much superior proposal to what the government has put forward.
"Our proposal is a win-win."
Asked what would happen if the government rejected his proposal, Mr Abbott said he expected Labor to give it consideration.
But after Abbott's announcement Immigration Minister Chris Bowen called a press conference to say that the government will not accept the Coalition's amendments.
Mr Abbott said that during a briefing last Friday on the government's previous proposal, he and and senior opposition front benchers had "made it clear" they believed the amendments stripped out human rights protections.
He said the new proposal put up by the government on Monday "concedes the force of our argument".
"What the government's new proposal does is pay lip service to protections without actually guaranteeing them," Mr Abbott said.
He said the coalition's alternative proposal will put beyond legal doubt the ability of the government to send people offshore for processing, provided they are sent to countries that have acceded to the United Nations refugee convention.
"For at least a decade the Coalition's position has been crystal clear," he said.
"We will determine who comes to this country and the circumstances under which they come," Mr Abbott said, citing former Liberal prime minister John Howard.
"My position, ever since becoming the leader of the opposition, is that we will stop the boats, but there is a right way and a wrong way to stop the boats.
"The right way to stop the boats is Nauru, temporary protection visas and turning boats around where it is safe to do so.
"The wrong way is to cobble together in confusion and panic a one-for-five people swap which has been proven not to work."
