The Age

The Labor Party is set to further modify its policy of support for mandatory detention of asylum seekers but Simon Crean was put on notice during a passionate caucus debate yesterday that many MPs want the policy scrapped.

The government had its own problems yesterday as the asylum-seeker policy came under fire from four Liberal Party MPs during the first joint parties meeting after the federal election in which its tough stance played a central role in the Coalition's win.

In a softening of Labor's support for mandatory detention, the party will look at options such as community release after initial health and security checks.

The move to consider the community release of some asylum seekers angered MPs who were advocating that Labor abandon its commitment to mandatory detention and those wanting no change.

Four prominent Liberal Party backbenchers - Petro Georgiou, Christopher Pyne, Bruce Baird and Marise Payne - for the first time broke ranks to call for a change to the policy on mandatory detention. "Mr Howard no longer has a united position in the party on his detention centre policy," one party source said.

Mr Georgiou, a Victorian, spoke in favour of discretionary detention. Sources said he had criticised the current policy, saying it created resentment in the community.

He also said mandatory detention was not working as a deterrent - contradicting the position of Mr Howard and Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, which is used as a central justification of the policy.

Senator Payne spoke in favour of moving women and children from detention, calling for an extension of the Woomera pilot study in which women and children have been released into the community.

But Mr Crean faced stronger pressure across all factions for a decisive change to Labor's policy, with about 25 MPs speaking in a landmark debate.

Those who spoke in favour of changing the policy included Christian Zahra, Barney Cooney, Chris Schacht, Duncan Kerr, Jenny George, Leo McLeay, Julia Erwin and Tanya Plibersek.

It is also believed there were divisions during the earlier meeting of Labor's front bench over the pace and nature of the proposed change to the policy.

Mr Crean said caucus had decided to consider some changes to mandatory detention but remained committed to it. "People arriving here should be subject to detention until their security, their health, their risk assessment has been determined, " he said.

"Within the concept of mandatory detention there is also a recognition that there are different forms of detention. Issues that also need to be given further consideration (include) some forms of community release, for example, the length of time it takes to process, the types of resources made available ... "

A policy paper developed by the shadow cabinet subcommittee on asylum seekers and presented to caucus yesterday said Labor believed there "is not just one form of mandatory detention". "Labor will, in its policy review process, consider other variations to the current detention model (i.e. secure hostels, community release models, locating detainees in less remote areas, streaming)," the paper said.

Speaking after the meeting, immigration spokeswoman Julia Gillard said there was a willingness to consider change. While there was no time-frame for a review it would occur well before the next election, she said.

Mr Crean said later that Labor had agreed to push for the government to be put back in control of detention centres and for Woomera to be mothballed. Labor would also advocate increased media access to detention centres and for an extension of the Afghan resettlement allowance.