The outgoing home affairs minister Karen Andrews has confirmed two asylum seeker boats on their way to Australia have been turned back since Wednesday.
The Liberal MP retained her Queensland seat of McPherson in Saturday's federal election bloodbath, which saw her party lose government.
The coalition came under fire for revealing on election day that asylum seekers on a boat heading to Australia had been turned back earlier in the week.
It had sent text messages to voters in NSW spruiking the coalition's border policies, which are largely mirrored by Labor.
Ms Andrews confirmed on Sunday two boats had been turned back - one by Sri Lankan authorities off Sri Lanka's coastline on Wednesday and a second off the coast of Australia's external territory of Christmas Island on Saturday.
"It will be a matter for the incoming minister of home affairs to deal with that and resolve those issues," Ms Andrews said.
"Throughout the campaign and leading up to the campaign, there were accusations of scaremongering by the coalition in relation to safety and security matters in relation to our borders."
Australian Border Force issued a warning to people smugglers in April that Australia's border policies wouldn't change if the government did.
Labor's policies only differentiate from the coalition on temporary protection visas for boat arrivals, which they may abolish.
Labor is now without its early pick for home minister after Kristina Keneally lost her battle to take over the once safe Labor seat of Fowler in Sydney to independent Dai Le.
The NSW Liberals have confirmed they had sent out Saturday's mass texts, with a spokesman saying the party wanted voters to be "informed".
On Saturday, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre blasted the tactic as "shameful".
Now it's clear the coalition won't be returned to government, centre CEO Kon Karapanagiotidis said he was relieved because there was "finally hope for freedom for refugees".
Australian Associated Press
