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Peter Dutton open to refugees on Nauru being resettled in New Zealand Peter Dutton open to refugees on Nauru being resettled in New Zealand
(35 minutes later)
Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, appears to have left the door open to resettling refugees detained on Nauru in New Zealand.Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, appears to have left the door open to resettling refugees detained on Nauru in New Zealand.
In an interview with the al-Jazeera network, an excerpt of which has been broadcast by the ABC, Dutton referenced the potential for detainees to be sent to New Zealand as part of arguing that people currently in offshore immigration detention will not be allowed to come to Australia.In an interview with the al-Jazeera network, an excerpt of which has been broadcast by the ABC, Dutton referenced the potential for detainees to be sent to New Zealand as part of arguing that people currently in offshore immigration detention will not be allowed to come to Australia.
Dutton said potential settlement in New Zealand was an issue between Nauru and New Zealand.Dutton said potential settlement in New Zealand was an issue between Nauru and New Zealand.
“We have had people smugglers that have tried to send boats across the top of Australia to New Zealand before,” Dutton says.“We have had people smugglers that have tried to send boats across the top of Australia to New Zealand before,” Dutton says.
“Let me make this very important point that people – if they’ve sought to come by boat – it doesn’t matter where they’re resettled, New Zealand or somewhere else, they will not be coming to Australia at any point.”“Let me make this very important point that people – if they’ve sought to come by boat – it doesn’t matter where they’re resettled, New Zealand or somewhere else, they will not be coming to Australia at any point.”
Since 2013, New Zealand has put a standing offer to Australia that it would take 150 people per year, but the Turnbull government has consistently shut the offer down, arguing it would give a green light to the people smugglers.Since 2013, New Zealand has put a standing offer to Australia that it would take 150 people per year, but the Turnbull government has consistently shut the offer down, arguing it would give a green light to the people smugglers.
The comments from Dutton come ahead of a speech he will make on Thursday night at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra – and ahead of his participation next week with the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in a special summit on refugees that will be held in New York.The comments from Dutton come ahead of a speech he will make on Thursday night at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra – and ahead of his participation next week with the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in a special summit on refugees that will be held in New York.
While the majority of the Coalition is perfectly comfortable with the situation on Nauru, the veteran Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent recently broke ranks.While the majority of the Coalition is perfectly comfortable with the situation on Nauru, the veteran Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent recently broke ranks.
Broadbent said the government needed to consider whether there are adequate checks and balances to ensure the safety of people in immigration detention after the release of new records by Guardian Australia revealing the scale of abuse of children in offshore detention.Broadbent said the government needed to consider whether there are adequate checks and balances to ensure the safety of people in immigration detention after the release of new records by Guardian Australia revealing the scale of abuse of children in offshore detention.
He said the incident reports published by Guardian Australia are “the sort of thing that brought John Howard to a place where he had to do something about it” – a reference to Howard softening the policy late in his term in government.He said the incident reports published by Guardian Australia are “the sort of thing that brought John Howard to a place where he had to do something about it” – a reference to Howard softening the policy late in his term in government.
Broadbent is not alone in the government in having concerns about conditions that amount to indefinite detention in offshore immigration, but thus far he is the only MP to break ranks publicly.Broadbent is not alone in the government in having concerns about conditions that amount to indefinite detention in offshore immigration, but thus far he is the only MP to break ranks publicly.
With Turnbull and Dutton preparing to attend the United Nations-sponsored refugee summit next week, the prime minister made a studied tribute to his predecessor Tony Abbott in question time on Thursday – the final parliamentary sitting day in the week where Turnbull marked his first anniversary in the top job.
Turnbull noted Abbott, while prime minister, had galvanised “the strongest possible international response to the evolving threat of Daesh” – and had brought a strength of purpose “to the task of restoring the integrity of our borders.”
The prime minister said his predecessor had ended the “disastrous” border policies of the Rudd and Gillard governments, that had “weakened our national security dramatically.”
“Mr Speaker, under the policies of our government, and I acknowledge here the extraordinary contributions of leadership and determination of the members for Cook [Scott Morrison] and ably succeeded by the member for Dickson [Peter Dutton], we stopped the boats and we stopped the deaths at sea and that would never have happened had it not been for the election of the Abbott government in 2013,” Turnbull said.
“Mr Speaker, regaining control of our borders enables us to have one of the most generous humanitarian programs in the world. We were only able to do that and maintain public support for it, because we control our borders.”