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| New Zealand and PNG could do deal on refugees, Peter Dutton says | New Zealand and PNG could do deal on refugees, Peter Dutton says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Australia should not stand in the way of New Zealand resettling refugees from the offshore detention centre on Manus Island, Labor leader Bill Shorten has said. | |
| The comments come after immigration minister, Peter Dutton, accepted that New Zealand and Papua New Guinea could do a bilateral deal to resettle people from the regional processing centre but warned that any such deal would have consequences for the countries’ diplomatic relationship with Australia. | |
| New Zealand has reiterated its offer to take 150 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centres during a two week-long standoff as people refuse to leave the now-closed Manus Island centre. | New Zealand has reiterated its offer to take 150 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centres during a two week-long standoff as people refuse to leave the now-closed Manus Island centre. |
| Labor has urged the Coalition government to consider the offer but Malcolm Turnbull has said it would not do so until the United States resettlement deal is complete. On Friday, he told Melbourne radio 3AW “it’s a possibility that could happen in the future but it is not ... a near-term prospect at all”. | Labor has urged the Coalition government to consider the offer but Malcolm Turnbull has said it would not do so until the United States resettlement deal is complete. On Friday, he told Melbourne radio 3AW “it’s a possibility that could happen in the future but it is not ... a near-term prospect at all”. |
| Asked at a press conference in Adelaide about the possibility the refugees could settle in New Zealand, Shorten said: “If New Zealand wants to take the people from Manus Island, Australia shouldn’t get in the way.” | |
| “They should be allowed to go. It’s a solution. I don’t know why Australia wants to get in the way.” | |
| On Thursday Dutton was asked about a possible bilateral deal between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea and told Sky News: “That’s an issue between those two countries. Any sovereign state can enter into bilateral arrangements. | |
| “They would have to think about other equities within the respective relationships,” he said. “They would have to think about their relationship with Australia, or what impact that would have.” | “They would have to think about other equities within the respective relationships,” he said. “They would have to think about their relationship with Australia, or what impact that would have.” |
| Shorten said he did not think such a deal would strain relations between the countries. | |
| Despite conceding Australia could not stop such a bilateral deal, Dutton argued it would be counter-productive because “people smugglers are watching eagerly at the moment” and any pathway to come to Australia via Papua New Guinea and New Zealand may “reopen” the movement of people seeking asylum in Australia. | Despite conceding Australia could not stop such a bilateral deal, Dutton argued it would be counter-productive because “people smugglers are watching eagerly at the moment” and any pathway to come to Australia via Papua New Guinea and New Zealand may “reopen” the movement of people seeking asylum in Australia. |
| “I’m not going to allow that to happen,” he said. | “I’m not going to allow that to happen,” he said. |
| “If any boats arrive tomorrow, those people aren’t going to Auckland, they’re going to the processing centre on Nauru.” | “If any boats arrive tomorrow, those people aren’t going to Auckland, they’re going to the processing centre on Nauru.” |
| Dutton labelled the New Zealand government’s offer of $3m for services for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru a “waste of money” that could be spent elsewhere, such as on displaced people in Indonesia. | Dutton labelled the New Zealand government’s offer of $3m for services for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru a “waste of money” that could be spent elsewhere, such as on displaced people in Indonesia. |
| “It’s an issue for New Zealand where they spend their money, but from my perspective we want to get people off Manus, get the regional processing centre closed,” he said. | “It’s an issue for New Zealand where they spend their money, but from my perspective we want to get people off Manus, get the regional processing centre closed,” he said. |
| “I don’t want hope being offered out to anybody that one day they will come to Australia, I don’t want them rejecting the US position on the promise that one day they will come to New Zealand or somewhere else.” | “I don’t want hope being offered out to anybody that one day they will come to Australia, I don’t want them rejecting the US position on the promise that one day they will come to New Zealand or somewhere else.” |
| The United Nations human rights committee has urged Australia to immediately close its offshore detention centres and bring the refugees and asylum seekers to Australia or another safe country. | The United Nations human rights committee has urged Australia to immediately close its offshore detention centres and bring the refugees and asylum seekers to Australia or another safe country. |
| Hundreds of detainees on Manus Island have remained in the now closed facility without food, water or medical supplies for almost a fortnight. | Hundreds of detainees on Manus Island have remained in the now closed facility without food, water or medical supplies for almost a fortnight. |
| Over the weekend the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said “there is harm being done” on Manus Island. “I see the human face of this and I see the need and the role New Zealand needs to play,” she said. “I think it’s clear that we don’t see what’s happening there as acceptable, that’s why the offer’s there.” | Over the weekend the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said “there is harm being done” on Manus Island. “I see the human face of this and I see the need and the role New Zealand needs to play,” she said. “I think it’s clear that we don’t see what’s happening there as acceptable, that’s why the offer’s there.” |