Mr Marles addressed the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he also criticised Immigration Minister Scott Morrision's "secrecy", stating there was a "scant level of information" available about Operation Sovereign Borders.
"Scott Morrison will be typecast as the hard man of our borders," he said.
"... But [immigration] is much more than chest beating."
He also weighed in on the lack of upgrades to safety infrastructure on Manus Island, saying that Labor would have continued work if they had been reelected in September.
The report detailing the riots on Manus Island, released by Mr Morrison yesterday, found that a PNG man employed by The Salvation Army led the beating that killed Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati.
The report stated G4S had been monitoring increasing tension in the centre, reaching a “flashpoint” following a meeting between community leaders and PNG and Australian Immigration officials on February 16.
During the violent protests that followed, fences were pushed over and Papua New Guinea nationals gained access to the compound.
“The nationals and sometimes expats and police went into bedrooms in Mike and dragged transferees outside to be beaten,” the report read.
“Some transferees reported that they bought immunity from bashing with cigarettes.”
It stated that Mr Berati “suffered a severe brain injury caused by a brutal beating” led by an identified PNG national employed by the Salvation Army and died several hours later.
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