The move comes after newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s visit to Indonesia in early July. He has warned critics not to expect progress on the asylum boat issue since he was seeking to form a strong trade and business relationship with the largest Muslim country in the world.

He was also in Papua New Guinea Monday trying to convince officials there of more business and trade links. This is also the site for a controversial checkpoint for asylum seekers.

As Australian goes into its 22nd year of a recession free economy, Mr. Rudd is eager to take advantage of Australia’s role in the global economy. Before getting re-elected he was criticized for his high flying wheeling and dealing with the world’s top diplomats, generating exorbitant amounts of airplane and phone bills, say news reports.

Mr. Rudd has denied claims of unwarranted use of government money saying that a ‘study trip’ to Switzerland, the U.S. and Europe was intended to ensure a place for Australia in a United Nations committee.

However, immigration continues to be a sticking point in Australia with several Asian students being attacked last year in ethnic clashes. The arrival of boat migrants to Australia’s coasts have created a division among its people with some saying that these migrants like all refugees deserve rights for work and travel. Sceptics say that it will lead to more social unrest in the community, which is already a melting pot of cultures.

On Saturday, a boat carrying more than 80 people were rescued by Australian authorities. And on Sunday, one baby boy died and eight others were missing while a boat made attempts to close in on the Australian shoreline.

Scott Morrison, the Opposition’s spokesperson on immigration responded to comments by Indonesia’s foreign minister, Dr Marty Natalegawa, who expressed his country’s non-compliance with a unilateral decision to stop boat people from coming to Australia.

Mr. Morrison said that this was an “internal policy.”

"It's not for him (Natalegawa) to rule it in or rule it out because that's a domestic policy for Australia," he told reporters in Canberra, reports News.com, adding, "the coalition is not seeking the agreement of Indonesia."

He criticized Prime Minister Rudd for inking an agreement with Indonesia earlier this month that Australia would reject a unilateral decision in protecting its national borders and implying veto power for Indonesia.

"The idea that a boat with 200 people on it delivered into Australian waters by a people smuggler can simply be told to turn around and go back to Indonesia, or that Australian border security forces are going to be able to cart it to an Indonesian port, is a fantasy,'' Bob Carr

The Opposition will seek to reject boat migrants from entering Australian coastal shores. BigPondMoney.com/@CC

was quoted as saying by Network Ten.

He added, "Tony Abbott could be made prime minister tomorrow and the problem of people smugglers bringing desperate people into our waters will continue.''