Labor not ruling out Malaysia solution

Federal Labor is not ruling out the prospect of again trying to send refugees to Malaysia for resettlement.

The Gillard government people-swap deal with Malaysia was quashed by the High Court in 2011, but deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek did not dismiss it when asked if the opposition would revive the deal.

"We would be talking to all of our neighbours to ensure we have a regional approach," she told ABC TV on Wednesday, after the High Court rejected a challenge to the federal government's offshore immigration detention regime.

International Development Steve Ciobo was dismissive of the Labor move.

"Tanya Plibersek from the Labor left runs frankly an agenda that saw and was responsible for the complete failure of Australia's border protection policies," he told ABC TV.