Terror and Tampa in 2002 cabinet papers

When Eminem sang "Guess who's back?" in 2002 he could well have been talking about John Howard.

Few predicted the Liberal leader would retain government after a politically messy 2001.

But Mr Howard's manipulation of the politics of the Tampa saga and the September 11 terrorist attacks positioned him perfectly to hold on to power and lead his cabinet in a stronger position heading into 2002.

Tackling terrorism and "stopping the boats" were the twin focuses of the Howard government in 2002, cabinet papers released 20 years on show.

The National Archives of Australia has released hundreds of cabinet records from meetings which followed Howard's unexpected trouncing of Labor at the November 2001 federal election.

In August 2001, when troops boarded a Norwegian vessel, MV Tampa, to stop it landing rescued asylum seekers on Australian soil, it began a long political debate over the rights and responsibilities owed to refugees.

The cabinet papers reveal concerns about the ability of processing facilities in Papua New Guinea and Nauru to cope with refugee numbers, and in March 2002 the government agreed to a purpose-built facility on Christmas Island.

As well, centres in Sydney and Port Augusta were readied to take in unauthorised arrivals.

The cabinet also wrestled with boosting the humanitarian and non-humanitarian intake, as well as Australia's overall population policy.

The 2001 terrorist attacks in the US led to a raft of national security laws being pushed through the Howard cabinet, and subsequently parliament, in 2002.

Passengers also found themselves facing extra screening at airports.

While Mr Howard held security talks with US President George W Bush, the content of these discussions is not revealed in the cabinet papers.

They only note an "oral report from (Mr Howard) on his discussion with the president of the United States on the American position in relation to efforts by Iraq to secure and maintain weapons of mass destruction. The cabinet also noted that the United States intended to make appropriate use of United Nations forums and processes in seeking to resolve the issue".

Later that year, in October, the cabinet dealt with the horrific bombing of a nightclub in Bali in which 202 people were killed including 88 Australians.

Climate change and the environment were extensively discussed in the Howard cabinet of 2002.

However, while much work was progressed in the areas of oceans policy and native bush restoration, the cabinet declined to go ahead with signing the Kyoto protocol.

On Indigenous issues, a review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was launched, which later contributed to its abolition.

And the cabinet accepted a proposal not to issue an apology to Indigenous people, or a treaty or referendum for a preamble.

Former minister Amanda Vanstone said the cabinet papers could not tell the whole story of 2002.

"I think of them as a useful palette in painting what happened in the past," she said.

She noted environmental policy and "tough on drugs" strategy were two areas in which an "enormous amount of work" was done but little credit given.

"Now, I can blame the media ... (but) maybe we were just lousy at selling our own story."

As its story-selling prowess improved, the Liberal-National coalition went on to a thumping victory in 2004.