This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/06/abbott-under-pressure-to-boost-refugee-intake-as-two-liberal-premiers-call-for-action
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Abbott under pressure to boost refugee intake amid desperate scenes in Europe | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Abbott government is under renewed pressure to boost help for refugees amid scenes of desperation in the Middle East and Europe, with two Liberal premiers and several cabinet ministers calling for more to be done. | |
| Related: Barnaby Joyce calls for more Syrian refugees to be resettled in Australia | Related: Barnaby Joyce calls for more Syrian refugees to be resettled in Australia |
| The federal trade minister, Andrew Robb, added his voice to calls for Australia to take more refugees, saying the country was “blessed” and the government was reviewing its existing commitment to accept 4,400 people from Syria and Iraq. | |
| “We haven’t made a final decision, but I would suspect that given the circumstances, we’ll look very favourably at that,” Robb told the ABC’s Insiders program. “I personally think I will support that, absolutely. And we should. We should.” | |
| Tony Abbott 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,” the prime minister said on Saturday. | |
| The foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, said she had “a very long discussion” with Abbott about the issue on Saturday and they recognised it was an international crisis “beyond the capacity of any one country or one region to resolve”. | |
| “And so we are reaching out to our partners and friends and allies in Europe, Middle East, including United States, to see how we can be part of a coordinated international solution,” she told Seven’s Weekend Sunrise program on Sunday. | |
| Bishop suggested options included providing more resources to refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, other countries increasing their humanitarian intake, the provision of further aid, and the establishment of temporary “safe havens” along the border. | |
| Australia would “do our fair share” and Abbott was saying the government had more flexibility within its humanitarian program, Bishop said. | |
| 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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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, Di Natale 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. | “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. |
| In an interview with Ten’s Bolt Report, Di Natale argued the problem would not be solved by “dropping some bombs on Syria”. | |
| When the host, Andrew Bolt, suggested Syrians were fleeing Islamic State, Di Natale said: “The Islamic State in Syria is not the main game. The main game in Syria is the Assad regime.” |