Social Services Minister Christian Porter announced on Monday thata family of five from Homs would arrive in Perth in the next 24 hours under the federal government's special program for Syrians.
But in comments that underscore the simmering tensions in conservative Liberal ranks about the switch to Mr Turnbull,Mr Andrews told Fairfax Media the immigration minister should be a permanent member of the committee because"immigration and border protection are integral elements of national security".
"The immigration minister was a member of the NSC in the past and should be now. In my experiences as a past member of the NSC,the immigration minister brings a valuable and critical perspective to the decisions about our security. It is artificial to separate immigration issues from national security,"he said.
In a radio interview on Monday,Mr Abbott highlighted the fact that the immigration minister,under him,had been a member of the key decision-making body.