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/09/peter-dutton-australians-will-be-proud-of-governments-response-to-refugee-crisis

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Peter Dutton: Australians will be 'proud' of government's response to refugee crisis Peter Dutton: Australians will be 'proud' of government's response to refugee crisis
(about 1 hour later)
Australians will be “proud” by the federal government’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis, the immigration minister says. Australians will be “proud” of the federal government’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis, the immigration minister says.
Fresh from attending United Nations talks in Geneva, Peter Dutton told ABC radio there was an urgent need for extra funding to supply food and accommodation.Fresh from attending United Nations talks in Geneva, Peter Dutton told ABC radio there was an urgent need for extra funding to supply food and accommodation.
Related: Calls to prioritise Christian refugees are discriminatory – Australia's grand muftiRelated: Calls to prioritise Christian refugees are discriminatory – Australia's grand mufti
Dutton said Tony Abbott would soon announce extra funding for the task as well as places to resettle refugees in Australia.Dutton said Tony Abbott would soon announce extra funding for the task as well as places to resettle refugees in Australia.
“I think people will be impressed by Australia’s response,” he said, after briefing the national security committee of cabinet.“I think people will be impressed by Australia’s response,” he said, after briefing the national security committee of cabinet.
Dutton foreshadowed a “generous” announcement from the prime minister - in terms of both dollars and number of places.Dutton foreshadowed a “generous” announcement from the prime minister - in terms of both dollars and number of places.
The assistant infrastructure minister, Jamie Briggs, told Sky News on Wednesday that Australians would be “pleasantly surprised” by the government’s approach to the issue.
“There are a lot of people in the community who want us to do more, and I think this morning when they hear the announcement from the prime minister, they’ll be pleasantly surprised that the government has got such a comprehensive security plan, and such a comprehensive humanitarian plan,” Briggs said.
Cabinet will meet on Wednesday morning to discuss what was decided by the national security committee, and an announcement is expected later in the day, before the prime minister, Tony Abbott, departs for Papua New Guinea to attend the Pacific Islands Forum.
News Ltd papers on Wednesday reported that the government may go over and above Labor’s figure of 10,000 extra places for Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Currently, Australia takes 13,750 refugees from around the world as part of its humanitarian intake. That figure will rise to 18,750 by 2018/19.
The shadow foreign minister, Tanya Plibersek, told reporters on Wednesday morning that it would be “wonderful” if the government decided to resettle more than 10,000 refugees.
“If the government can support more than 10,000 people coming, I think the Australian people would by and large be delighted with that suggestion,” she said.
Divisions emerged within the Coalition over how Australia should respond to the crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people cross into Europe to seek asylum.
Abbott’s announcement on Sunday that Australia would take more Syrians and Iraqis without increasing the overall refugee intake left several members of his own party discontent.
Many MPs rose in Tuesday’s party room meeting to speak on how they thought public sentiment on the issue had changed, and urged the government to change along with it.
Former deputy prime minister and long-time Nationals leader, Tim Fischer, said rural communities were sympathetic to the plight of Syrians fleeing the conflict.
“I think regional Australia is ready, prepared to step up and play its part in an enlightened way and reflecting the absolute concern over the mass movement of people happening at this time,” Fischer told ABC TV.
Cabinet will meet on Wednesday morning to discuss what was decided by the national security committee.Cabinet will meet on Wednesday morning to discuss what was decided by the national security committee.
Government backbencher Ewen Jones, who wants Australia to accept up to 50,000 refugees, said the country has to be at the “front of this game”.Government backbencher Ewen Jones, who wants Australia to accept up to 50,000 refugees, said the country has to be at the “front of this game”.
“This is the greatest humanitarian crisis since the second world war,” he told ABC radio.“This is the greatest humanitarian crisis since the second world war,” he told ABC radio.
Jones agreed that persecuted Christians should be prioritised, but he was open to listening to the advice Dutton brings back.Jones agreed that persecuted Christians should be prioritised, but he was open to listening to the advice Dutton brings back.
Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek urged the government not to discriminate against other faiths in determining who to help. At least three Coalition members, including government Senate leader Eric Abetz, have said Christians should be the focus of any additional resettlement measures.
There were women on their own as well as unaccompanied children, she said. Australia’s grand mufti, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, has told Guardian Australia that choosing refugees for resettlement based on religion is discriminatory.
“The basis of our policy should not be based on religion or ethnicity or gender,” Plibersek told ABC radio. “When it comes to catastrophes such as these we should be prioritising human beings rather than prioritising a certain religion,” Mohamed said.
World Vision chief Tim Costello said the only appropriate response would be a non-discriminatory one. World Vision’s Tim Costello, an ordained Baptist minister, has admitted that Christians have been “particularly smashed” by extremist groups in the Middle East, but says resettlement should be decided on who has the greatest need.
But he said it was more important the government give extra funding to the UN refugee agency, suggesting a $144m boost this year alone. “I think the only appropriate response is a non-discriminatory policy based on need,” he told ABC Radio.
World Vision and a number of other aid agencies want Australia to take an extra 30,000 refugees.
“The intake is now the pimple on the hippopotamus. It’s small because generous has now [been] been defined by Germany, who are taking 800,000,” Costello said.