The federal government won't reveal whether asylum seeker boats have been turned back to Indonesia, but insists it will be transparent about its border protection policies.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Operation Sovereign Borders Commander Lieutenant General Angus Campbell on Monday held their first weekly media briefing on the coalition's new military-led operation to stop asylum boat arrivals.
The minister said the government would be open about boats arriving and the number of people transferred to regional processing countries, but "tactical" issues would not be discussed with the media.
He was asked whether that meant the government would not publicly discuss instances of boats being turned back to Indonesia - a key plank of the coalition's border protection policies.
"Operational and tactical issues that relate to current and prospective operations ... will not be the subject of public commentary from these podiums," he told reporters.
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"Our joint operations with our good friends in Indonesia and our other partners are matters that we will deal with directly with them."
He said there may be media briefings for "significant incidents" at sea, citing the previous government's practice of holding media conferences after boats capsized.
There were limitations on what could be discussed "for the protection and safety of the people who are doing our service for our nation", he said.
Acting opposition leader and former immigration minister Chris Bowen condemned as a "disgrace" the decision to keep information on boat turn-around operations from the public.
"I think it's an extraordinary lack of transparency on behalf of the new government," he told AAP.
Lieutenant General Campbell says one boat with 33 people on board has arrived since the coalition government launched its operation to stop the boats on September 18.
He said boat operations were "challenging and, on occasion, risky" but navy and customs personnel did the work "magnificently".
Mr Morrison said the government would aim to send all asylum seekers to Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus Island within 48 hours of arriving on Christmas Island.
"If people are fit to get on a boat, they'll be quickly deemed fit to fly," he said.
"Issues relating to health and other matters will be progressed increasingly at the other end."
Labor MP Richard Marles said the government must explain what health provisions would be provided to asylum seekers sent to Manus Island.
"There are serious concerns in terms of diseases which are prevalent in that part of PNG," he told Sky News.
"Will vaccinations be provided and will there be enough time for them to be effective by the time people go to Manus Island?"
Mr Morrison will meet Nauru's justice minister in Canberra on Tuesday and will travel to PNG later in the week.
