More details have been revealed about the Howard government's controversial refugee policy pivot in 2001 which founded the way Australia tackled the issue for the next two decades.
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Documents made public on Saturday reveal the options being canvassed to handle an influx of asylum seekers in the lead up to the 2001 Tampa affair, including Christmas Island and defence facilities in NSW, Darwin, Adelaide and Perth.
Cabinet papers from July 2001 preface a government grappling with a refugee processing system under strain and on the brink of not being able to accommodate any more arrivals.
Cabinet was told the arrival of between 1300 and 1600 refugees within a matter of weeks would completely exhaust Australia's detention capacity and plans were drawn up to accommodate asylum seekers in demountable buildings and tents.
The health department raised concerns that overcrowding at refugee camps would risk disease outbreaks and violence and that it had "insufficient resources to fully participate in recent deliberations or to consider the broader policy implications".
The cabinet papers also show then-immigration minister Phillip Ruddock fighting to narrow the application of international refugee laws in Australia because "asylum seekers have been seen to take advantage of international refugee (law for) migration solutions".
This was despite a warning from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that the government's push would "break new ground and likely attract significant criticism".
The tightening of refugee policy and strong action against asylum seeker boats in 2001 came against a backdrop of a government starting the year behind in the polls and with stalling momentum.
The policy change along with its response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, formed the cornerstone of a government campaign on strong and secure borders which resulted in former prime minister John Howard winning his third consecutive election.
Mr Howard stood by his move to strengthen asylum seeker laws in the lead up to the 2001 election and decision to green light a military boarding of the Norwegian ship Tampa which was carrying 433 rescued refugees.
Mr Howard did not let the ship dock in Australia after it rescued the asylum seekers from a sinking vessel in August and threatened to arrest the captain if he attempted to defy the order.
Despite international criticism on its treatment of refugees, Mr Howard's senior ministers continued their tough stance against asylum seekers, accusing them of throwing children overboard boats to force a rescue two months later.
Mr Howard and his government were chastised for using the unsubstantiated reports to demonise asylum seekers and exploit the public's fear the country was being rushed by a wave of illegal immigrants.
But historian Christine Wallace said the coalition's electoral success in the past two decades stems from the "enormous political dividends" yielded by the Howard government in 2001 as strong national security and border policies wedged Labor and eroded support for the Kim Beazley-led opposition.
The tough-on-borders rhetoric employed by Mr Howard has become the basis of coalition immigration and national security policy for the next two decades.
Australian Associated Press
