Scott Morrison's 'pantomime' visit to Christmas Island

The government spent $60,000 just on flights for a half-hour press conference on Christmas Island yesterday.

The trip from Sydney to Broome, then Christmas Island, then to Perth and finally Canberra took place on a RAAF Boeing 737.

But there was only a span of a few hours between wheels-down and wheels-up on Prime Minister Scott Morrison's trip to the remote Indian Ocean island.

During the trip media were allowed into the Christmas Island Detention Centre, a place they had previously been banned from stepping foot into.

Speaking to 9News, Mr Morrison said he was "being very honest with the Australian people about what we need to do to get our borders secure".

"I've always been very clear with the Australian people about where I stand on border protection and they know my record," the Prime Minister said.

"I've had a very simple message to people smugglers: You won't get through me."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the government of making up border security policy "on the run".

"It is beyond a joke that the PM flies to the furthest part of what is technical Australia to run a scare campaign," he said in Melbourne today.

This prime minister is focused on photo opportunities at $2000 a minute."

9News political editor Chris Uhlmann was scathing about the short visit.

"I thought yesterday was pantomime," he told Today.

"This is a government that is so desperate it's trying to create a crisis.

"The hysterical reaction by the government may well cost it rather than benefit it."

Uhlmann expressed his disapproval with the Coalition's campaign tactics.

"The government is desperate to win," he said.

"It has two shots in its gun. One is the economy but that's slowing.

"The other is national security."

Australia entered what some economists are calling a "per capita recession" thanks to catatonic growth figures released by the ABS yesterday.