Since Leigh Sales will not ask the questions below, I have to imagine what would happen if Scott Morrison were interviewed about stopping the boats.
Interviewer: With your plan to stop the boats, what percentage would you expect to stop?
Scott Morrison: I can’t tell you for operational reasons.
Interviewer: So it is a secret?
S.M.: Yes. The Navy want to keep it secret.
Interviewer: Could the Defense Minister tell me?
S.M.: No. It is an operational issue. He doesn’t know.
Interviewer: I am trying to understand why it is an operational issue. If the number was close to 100% it would be in the interest of the Navy to let people smugglers know there was a high chance they would be turned back. If it was closer to zero, I can understand that nobody would want to say anything. I can only assume it is closer to zero than one hundred percent. Does that make sense?
S.M.: I can’t comment for operational reasons.
Interviewer: Moving on to another aspect of the stop the boats policy, what happens when the inevitable occurs? A boat is turned back but sinks. Who is to blame?
S.M. It is an operational decision that was incorrectly made by the Captain of the Navy boat, so he or she will be responsible.
Interviewer: Obviously his or her career would be over.
S.M.: I can’t comment for operational reasons.
Interviewer: No fault of the politicians of course?
S.M. Of course not. We set policy. If it goes wrong it is an operational issue. We are not responsible for operational matters.