Tony Abbott to slash $1b in red tape as Coalition considers using special forces troops to help asylum seekers Tony Abbott wants to stamp out $1 billion in red tape. TONY Abbott says he will consider sending special forces personnel to intervene if asylum-seeker boats refuse to turn around on the high seas. The Opposition Leader, who has vowed to "stop the boats" in government this morning said he would use all measures available to turn around asylum-seekers at sea. Responding to reports of a weekend rescue in which authorities were called after asylum-seekers threatened self-harm Mr Abbott said Australia should not be "blackmailed." "People should not threaten acts of self-harm and the Australian government should not be blackmailed by people who are threatening to do something they were never intending to do," Mr Abbott said. We will stop the boats. Earlier today, Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison commented on a report that a boat with 34 would-be refugees and two crew was taken to Christmas Island last week after passengers threatened to harm themselves rather than be taken back to Indonesia. "People who are going to try this on should be stopped," Mr Morrison told Sky News. Mr Morrison likened the case to the Tampa affair in 2001, when then prime minister John Howard ordered special forces troops to board Norwegian freighter MV Tampa, which had picked up more than 400 Afghan asylum seekers. "That's exactly what happened with the Tampa," Mr Morrison said. John Howard took a strong stand on that. Mr Morrison was asked whether a coalition government would again consider taking the same action. "You've got to be prepared to do this sort of stuff," he said. Labor backbencher Michelle Rowland called Mr Morrison's comments an "extraordinary tirade." Greens leader Christine Milne said the coalition has adopted a "pirate regime" in relation to asylum seekers and both the opposition and government should realise that deterrence measures are ineffective. "It's appalling that we've got the government and the opposition trying to outdo each other with even more harsh and cruel policies," Ms Milne told Sky News. It's pretty clear that neither of them accept the proposition that deterrence doesn't work. Mr Abbott was in Sydney today to launch the Coalition's policy to cut a $1 billion of red and green tape from the Australian economy. The Coalition will also establish an overall deregulation unit within the Department of Finance and link senior public servants' bonuses to cuts to red tape. Mr Abbott and Senator Arthur Sinodinos announced the coalition's policy to boost productivity and reduce regulation at a function in Sydney today..