As Prime Minister Julia Gillard left for the Pacific Islands Forum, Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop suggested that she use the meeting to explore the possibility of Nauru taking asylum seekers.

Many Pacific leaders, including Gillard, are in New Zealand for the four-day meeting starting Tuesday.

"Julia Gillard should take the time to do the right thing and seek out the representative from the Nauruan government and discuss with them the reopening of the Nauru processing centre," Bishop told ABC Radio. "They are very keen to be part of the solution for Australia."

Bishop believes that the prime minister was clinging to the Malaysia solution despite the high court ruling it unlawful recently.

She added that the fact that Malaysia was not a signatory to the United Nations refugee convention was clearly "a stumbling block for the government", according to reports in The Sun Herald.

The opposition is urging Labor to reopen the Nauru detention centre used by the Howard government.