Labor MP Andrew Leigh has spoken about his discomfort with asylum seeker policy following the release of photographs depicting distraught asylum seekers.
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The Member for Fraser's comments that he was not comfortable with any response in the area were made just days after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced his party's hardline policy on asylum seekers arriving by boat.
'I reached the point where my view is there is going to be no policy with which I am going to feel perfectly comfortable,'' he said.
''But in the circumstances, this is probably the most compassionate response.''
Speaking on ABC Radio on Tuesday, Mr Leigh also weighed in on the controversial photos issued by the Department of Immigration on Monday.
The asylum seekers pictured were on the first boat - carrying 81 mostly Iranian nationals - to arrive in Australia after the new policy of processing and resettling asylum seekers on PNG took effect.
According to the Immigration Department, the group of asylum seekers were told of the new deal between Australia and PNG at North West Point Immigration Detention Centre at Christmas Island.
Mr Leigh said the images had the potential to reduce drownings at sea.
''The purpose that the Immigration Department has used the photographs for is to make sure that people don’t make a risky boat journey,'' he said.
''. . . It's part of a policy that I believe is being as compassionate as we can.''
