Live: Vote count continues as Albanese returns to Australia to finalise frontbench

News Breakfast: Anthony Albanese launched an investigation into the media release Border Force put out on election day about the asylum seeker boat, contrary to all of the past approaches to asylum seeker boats. As home affairs minister,  Karen Andrews, did you endorse that media release?

Karen Andrews: The reason the media release was put out and it was a very factual media release that was put out, I think it was a statement, but in any event, there was a statement that was made available by that Commander. I think it was important given the fact that it was election day and there needed to be transparency. There was also immediately a briefing offered to the Labor Party, who was the shadow minister at the time, Kristina Keneally. That was offered straight away. There were a lot of things that were happening. It happened very quickly and we needed to be responsive. 

NB: The point is, I want to clarify, as this investigation kicks off, did you approve that statement firstly?

KA: I saw the statement before it was released. There is a secondary issue of texts that were sent out. I had nothing to do with the text messages. I had no knowledge of them. 

NB: Getting back to the statement, you saw the statement before it went out. Did you press the button, say, “Yes, Border Force you can release that statement”?

KA: Well, Border Force would have been releasing it in any event, making that statement. I think it was important, given where we were, it was election day, that people did actually have a statement that made it very clear what was happening but in a very operationally focused statement. That was important.

NB: What did you think of the texts sent by, we assume, the Liberal Party to voters in key seats on election day, talking about this boat?

KA: Well, I had no knowledge of the texts. I didn’t know they were contemplated. The first I found out was when it was raised with me.

NB: Was that a bad move?

KA: Look, I think a lot of things were happening on election day. What the party chose to do is a party matter. That’s where you need to put the questions to them. It wasn’t something that was endorsed by me, it was something that I had no knowledge of at all.