Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claimed that many Labor Party candidates and MPs didn't really support the government's actions on border protection, such as turning back boats carrying asylum seekers, in a sign he won't hesitate to exploit concerns in Labor that refugees are being harshly treated.
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At Darwin Port on day nine of the election campaign Mr Turnbull toured the Cape Jervis, an Australian Border Force boat, and said deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek had shown a lack of conviction in her own policies.
"[Labor Leader Bill Shorten's] deputy is crab-walking away in the way of the Greens, his candidates are crab-walking away in the direction of the Greens. They lack the conviction, they lack the commitment to keep our borders secure," Mr Turnbull said.
Asked about the number of Labor candidates who have expressed concerns about asylum seekers, Ms Plibersek said on Monday they were against the Coalition's policy.
"All of these candidates have said that they support Labor Party policy. What they don't like is Liberal Party policy. They don't like indefinite detention on Manus Island and Nauru. Labor is committed to stopping the boats, to making sure that people smugglers don't start up again their wicked trade," she said.
Shorten speaks out
Despite the visit taking place in the middle of an election campaign, the Australian Border Force indicated to media the agency did not want to be politicised and requested the prime minister was not photographed with its logo.
But it was not to be. Mr Turnbull said the choice this election was between a party that would allow the force to "keep our borders secure" and a party not on message.
"The protection of Australia's borders is a political issue. They will do an outstanding job, whoever is Prime Minister, but everything depends on whether there is a government that is committed to keeping our borders secure," he said.
Mr Shorten suggested that Mr Turnbull was "telling lies" about Labor's position on asylum seekers.
"[Mr Turnbull] has clearly decided that he's going to say as often as he can that Labor won't tackle the people smugglers and he's also clearly decided to say as often as he can that in the events of a hung parliament Labor would form a coalition with the Greens.
"There is no truth to any aspect or any detail of what he's saying. Mr Turnbull's clearly been told lies or he's telling lies. Whatever the case, he ought to stop and he ought to stop now," he said.
Mr Turnbull arrived in Cairns on Tuesday, in LNP MP Warren Entsch's seat of Leichhardt which he holds by a margin of 5.7 per cent.
Drop in workload
Earlier, he met about 10 border force officers on board the Cape Jervis, which is used to intercept asylum-seeker boats and illegal Indonesian fishing vessels.
The crew said their workload was quieter now, but previously they would intercept three to four boats each 28-day mission. "You're keeping our borders secure. Thank you so much," Mr Turnbull said.
At the bridge area, he looked at equipment along with Deputy Commanding Officer Anders Paulsen, who highlighted the infra-red cameras that could detect people at sea more easily at night.
Mr Turnbull was told the vessel was licensed to carry 50 but could carry four times that many if needed.
