Liberals to put general in charge of boat defence The Liberals don't seem to have much faith in shadow defence minister David Johnson - and create an awkward chain of command to stop the boats: TONY Abbott is risking the ire of the nation's defence establishment by forcing a three-star military commander to answer directly to his immigration minister under a dramatic command and control overhaul to stop asylum boats... Under the $10 million plan, a three-star commander would head a joint taskforce responsible for implementing the Coalition's border protection policy. The taskforce would finalise and issue protocols to naval commanders on turning around asylum boats, while additional border protection vessels would be leased.... The policy was endorsed by former major general Jim Molan, who said he had provided advice to the Coalition on the feasibility of the plan. The chain of command seems wrong. Naval commanders who normally report up through the Chief of Defence to the Defence Minister will, if deployed on border control, also report up through a different general to the Immigration Minister. The Australian Defence Association has concerns, although I strongly disagree with its claim that the stopping the boats is too "party-political" and "peripheral" a duty for the armed forces, which are already deployed to "intercept" boats anyway: There is surely no need for the measures described in Operation Sovereign Borders to be led by a military officer, either on secondment or as part of his or her military duties directly. If Opposition Spokesmen believe that the "scale of the problem requires the discipline and focus of a targeted military operation" then surely this can be achieved without using a serving member of the ADF to lead it. Particularly when the stated intention of the plan is for this senior officer to command rather than just head the operation. And where the legal basis for such command is not addressed. Moreover, the Coalition plan envisages a senior ADF officer answering directly as a commander, for a non-military function, to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Rather than through the legal chain of command to the Chief of Defence Force and then to the civil control of the Minister for Defence. This seems to pose obvious obstacles given the Defence Act, its underlying constitutional provisions and the necessary Westminster conventions separating military command (operationally) and civil control of the military (constitutionally). But coordinating the various agencies involved in border protection makes sense. For heaven's sake - another two boat arrivals announced today. This is way out of control: The Coalition's policy was announced as it was revealed another asylum boat - this one carrying about 100 people - had arrived in Australian waters. If this rate of arrivals doesn't slow over the next month, PNG may well baulk at the number of boat people it's being asked to take on. The full policy looks, however, looks far more determined and effective than does the PNG "solution." Reader Jeff says I've made too much of the joint lines of responsibility: Regarding your post in respect to the Coalition's proposed policy the current Commander, Border Protection Command, Rear Admiral David Johnston, reports indirectly to both the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Defence. Perhaps it is thought it may be be more sound operationally to report to only one Minister under the revamped organisation.