Australia's border protection policies have again become the focus of federal election campaign debate after Opposition leader Anthony Albanese confirmed asylum seekers attempting to arrive in Australia by boat would be turned back if Labor wins the election.
He also confirmed on Thursday he would keep offshore detention centres open.
Mr Albanese's stance on asylum seekers and refugees was thrust into the spotlight after he was asked whether people smugglers would take advantage of a Labor government if they won the next federal election.
"We will turn boats back. Turning boats back means that you don't need offshore detention," he said on Thursday morning.
However, Mr Albanese later clarified his stance by saying the Labor government would still keep the option of offshore detention centres.
"[We haven't seen people put in] offshore detention in recent times because the boats have been turned back. It's been [an] effective [policy]," Mr Albanese said.
Mr Albanese was campaigning in Cessnock in regional NSW to further focus his efforts on his healthcare pledge of establishing "urgent care" clinics across Australia.
SBS News contacted Labor for clarity on the party's border protection and offshore detention policy.
A Labor spokesperson told SBS News that the comments provided by Mr Albanese earlier in the day sufficiently explained its policy.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison seized the opportunity to attack his opponent, arguing Mr Albanese was constantly changing his views.
"Anthony Albanese has had every position on border protection. He has supported everything he has opposed and he has opposed everything that he has supported," Mr Morrison said.
The prime minister also took credit for the boat turnback policy, referring to "Operation Sovereign Borders" in 2013, which aimed to turn back any person seeking asylum by boat.
"I designed the boat turnback policy. I implemented it. I stood up to criticism day after day after day ... People said this was an inhumane policy. It wouldn't work. There is no way you could make it happen," Mr Morrison said.
Boat turnbacks, offshore detention 'hugely problematic'
Both the prime minister and Opposition leader's comments drew criticism from Refugee Council of Australia CEO Paul Power, who said the bipartisan support of boat turnbacks and offshore detention was "hugely problematic".
He said the key issue lies in politicising an issue that affects the people who are forced to return to countries where they risked persecution.
"We're in a situation where both major political parties in Australia support the boat turnback policy but what we haven't seen is significant support to try to address the situation for refugees who are turned back," Mr Power told SBS News.
"What we see is a lot of crocodile tears from political leaders in Australia saying, 'we don't want people to risk their lives at sea trying to enter Australian territory.'
"But there's no evidence that either of the major political parties cares at all about exactly the same people in other situations, during the various points in their journey towards Australia."
Mr Power said he was not surprised by Mr Albanese's stance on border protection, as it has remained relatively unchanged since 2013 when former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd introduced the policy. It was later affirmed in 2015 by the Labor Party when it was in Opposition.
