Marles explains new asylum policy

LABOR'S RICHARD MARLES EXPLAINS TURNBACK BACKFLIP:

* DIDN'T LABOR HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY AT SEA?

"No one has died since December 2013."

* WILL LABOR TELL THE MEDIA WHEN A BOAT IS TURNED BACK?

"In the circumstances where you have turned a boat around, how on earth can it be a bad thing to be projecting a message to people smugglers around the world that this has occurred?"

* WHAT ABOUT THE LITTLE ORANGE BOATS?

"We will go into that detail when we are in government."

* WHAT HAPPENS TO A BOAT FROM A SOURCE COUNTRY LIKE SRI LANKA?

"When Americans do on-water assessments of people from Haiti and Cuba the UNHCR has a good look at the process."

* HOW DO YOU ENSURE MANUS ISLAND AND NAURU ARE SAFE?

"We will seek to work with Nauru and Papua New Guinea to build bilateral mechanisms for independent oversight."

* ISN'T THIS ALL ABOUT BILL SHORTEN HEADING OFF A FIGHT WITH THE LEFT?

"That belittles a process that has been going on for months, including a visit to Geneva to talk to the UNHCR in April."

(Source: Richard Marles on Sky News)