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| Abbott under pressure to boost refugee intake as two Liberal premiers call for action | Abbott under pressure to boost refugee intake as two Liberal premiers call for action |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The Abbott government is under renewed pressure to boost help for refugees, with two Liberal premiers calling for more to be done. | The Abbott government is under renewed pressure to boost help for refugees, with two Liberal premiers calling for more to be done. |
| Related: Barnaby Joyce calls for more Syrian refugees to be resettled in Australia | |
| The prime minister has hinted the country’s refugee intake could be increased. | The prime minister has hinted the country’s refugee intake could be increased. |
| “One of the good things about stopping the boats is that we are now in a much better position to increase our refugee and humanitarian intake,” Abbott said on Saturday. | “One of the good things about stopping the boats is that we are now in a much better position to increase our refugee and humanitarian intake,” Abbott said on Saturday. |
| If the government does make room for more refugees, some may be bound for Tasmania. | If the government does make room for more refugees, some may be bound for Tasmania. |
| Premier Will Hodgman confirmed on Saturday the state is in talks with Canberra on how to bring in more displaced people under the safe haven visa scheme. | Premier Will Hodgman confirmed on Saturday the state is in talks with Canberra on how to bring in more displaced people under the safe haven visa scheme. |
| But it is the NSW premier, Mike Baird, who has had most to say in response to the growing number of refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. | But it is the NSW premier, Mike Baird, who has had most to say in response to the growing number of refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq. |
| Related: Cheering German crowds greet refugees after long trek from Budapest to Munich | Related: Cheering German crowds greet refugees after long trek from Budapest to Munich |
| “I am deeply encouraged by the federal Coalition government’s commitment to increase our humanitarian intake over the coming years,” he said in a Facebook post that was shared by thousands of people within hours of appearing on Saturday evening. | “I am deeply encouraged by the federal Coalition government’s commitment to increase our humanitarian intake over the coming years,” he said in a Facebook post that was shared by thousands of people within hours of appearing on Saturday evening. |
| “But I believe we should do even more. And we should do it now. | “But I believe we should do even more. And we should do it now. |
| “NSW remains ready and willing to do more than our fair share.” | “NSW remains ready and willing to do more than our fair share.” |
| Baird said the image of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi had made him sick with “overwhelming sorrow” and “despair”, adding: “We cannot see the images we have seen, and feel the things we have felt, and then go back to business as usual.” | Baird said the image of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi had made him sick with “overwhelming sorrow” and “despair”, adding: “We cannot see the images we have seen, and feel the things we have felt, and then go back to business as usual.” |
| Federal Liberal MP Craig Laundy, who holds the marginal seat of Reid in inner western Sydney, and cabinet minister Barnaby Joyce have made similar comments. | Federal Liberal MP Craig Laundy, who holds the marginal seat of Reid in inner western Sydney, and cabinet minister Barnaby Joyce have made similar comments. |
| Federal Labor MP Mark Butler said on Sunday the government should provide strong support for the United Nations high commissioner for refugees. | |
| “We have seen funds from Australia under Tony Abbott to the UNHCR cut over their term in government,” Butler told Sky News. | |
| Butler said when Labor was in government, it did respond to requests and advice from the UNHCR to take more refugees from particular regions that were dealing with significant pressure. | |
| “The Syrian crisis and the Middle East generally is precisely that sort of region,” he said. | |
| Labor at its last national conference agreed to double its refugee intake from 13,750 to 27,000, giving “very substantial headroom” to be able to help Syrian refugees were it in government, he said. | |
| The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, said it was time for Australia to make a contribution to the crisis unfolding in the Middle East and now affecting all parts of the globe. | |
| “If the prime minister has a skerrick of decency and compassion he would do what his predecessors have down – show some leadership and recognise that Australia needs to play its part in the world,” Di Natale told Sky News. | |
| The Greens want Australia to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees registered with the UNHCR. | |
| Australia is a rich and prosperous nation that needs to offer these people protection, he said. | |
| “We can’t continue with this isolationist, turn our back on the problems of the world approach that this prime minister brings to the office,” he said. |