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| Kevin Rudd: boat sinking underlines need for asylum policy overhaul | Kevin Rudd: boat sinking underlines need for asylum policy overhaul |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Kevin Rudd said another tragedy at sea underlined the need for radical policy change in Australia regarding border protection and the management of asylum seekers. | Kevin Rudd said another tragedy at sea underlined the need for radical policy change in Australia regarding border protection and the management of asylum seekers. |
| The prime minister declined to answer specific operational questions about the sinking off Java of an asylum boat bound for Christmas Island. | The prime minister declined to answer specific operational questions about the sinking off Java of an asylum boat bound for Christmas Island. |
| The vessel was believed to be carrying more than 200 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Three children drowned in the tragedy, and an Indonesian-led rescue operation was ongoing. | The vessel was believed to be carrying more than 200 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Three children drowned in the tragedy, and an Indonesian-led rescue operation was ongoing. |
| Rudd became terse when pressed on the incident by reporters during a campaign visit in Melbourne on Wednesday. He argued it would be irresponsible to comment when the relevant portfolio minister was fully briefed, and tasked with keeping the public up to date. | Rudd became terse when pressed on the incident by reporters during a campaign visit in Melbourne on Wednesday. He argued it would be irresponsible to comment when the relevant portfolio minister was fully briefed, and tasked with keeping the public up to date. |
| While not engaging in the detail of the incident, Rudd suggested it made the case for the tough deterrence measures the government was pursuing to disrupt people smuggling. | While not engaging in the detail of the incident, Rudd suggested it made the case for the tough deterrence measures the government was pursuing to disrupt people smuggling. |
| "This underlines the need for policy changes in Australia on asylum seeker policy sending a very clear message to people smugglers to stop sending people by boat to Australia," Rudd told reporters. "We are seeing too many drownings, we are seeing too many sinkings, too many people lost at sea." | "This underlines the need for policy changes in Australia on asylum seeker policy sending a very clear message to people smugglers to stop sending people by boat to Australia," Rudd told reporters. "We are seeing too many drownings, we are seeing too many sinkings, too many people lost at sea." |
| Rudd said he had been transparent from the outset that Labor's asylum policy, which sends all unauthorised boat arrivals to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement, would prompt people smugglers to test the resolve of the government. | Rudd said he had been transparent from the outset that Labor's asylum policy, which sends all unauthorised boat arrivals to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement, would prompt people smugglers to test the resolve of the government. |
| He rebutted a critical question from a journalist about the policy shift. "You are going to have naysayers," he said, "like yourself, saying that there are problems. I'm saying this is one of the most difficult areas of public policy in Australia. We have taken a considered decision. It's not been one taken lightly. It will also take time to implement." | He rebutted a critical question from a journalist about the policy shift. "You are going to have naysayers," he said, "like yourself, saying that there are problems. I'm saying this is one of the most difficult areas of public policy in Australia. We have taken a considered decision. It's not been one taken lightly. It will also take time to implement." |
| Rudd also rounded on the opposition for playing short-term partisan politics with the PNG deal. | Rudd also rounded on the opposition for playing short-term partisan politics with the PNG deal. |
| He said Tony Abbott had lied in a critique of the aid funding to Port Moresby under the arrangement, and said Abbott was sending conflicting messages about his position on the PNG policy – supporting it, and in the same breath, declaring it unworkable. This was deliberately "muddying" Australia's message to people smugglers. | He said Tony Abbott had lied in a critique of the aid funding to Port Moresby under the arrangement, and said Abbott was sending conflicting messages about his position on the PNG policy – supporting it, and in the same breath, declaring it unworkable. This was deliberately "muddying" Australia's message to people smugglers. |
| PNG's high commissioner Charles Lepani also entered the political fray on Wednesday afternoon with an apparent rebuke to Abbott's comments on aid. Abbott argued on Tuesday that Australia had given PNG "a free gift" in the asylum agreement. | |
| In a statement Lepani "warned Australian politicians to observe international protocols and courtesies when discussing relations with other friendly sovereign nations and not impugn the dignity of our leaders who are attempting to assist Australia in this very complex regional and international issue of asylum-seekers." | |
| Rudd contended the Coalition didn't have a policy, it had a three-word slogan: stop the boats. "The Australian people want a six word slogan: how will you stop the boats? It's a legitimate question." | |
| The immigration minister, Tony Burke, will travel to Manus Island this week as part of the government's efforts to implement the policy shift, and on Wednesday had to respond to a television report that detainees in the temporary immigration facility had been raped and abused, and the abuse had been known to staff managing the facility. | The immigration minister, Tony Burke, will travel to Manus Island this week as part of the government's efforts to implement the policy shift, and on Wednesday had to respond to a television report that detainees in the temporary immigration facility had been raped and abused, and the abuse had been known to staff managing the facility. |
| Burke was made aware of the allegations of abuse on Manus Island a week ago – prior to the government's radical policy shift last Friday, which will see more asylum seekers dispatched to PNG. Burke says he made several attempts to make contact with the whistleblower who spoke to SBS, Rod St George – a security manager on Manus Island – but he was unable to proceed with the conversation until Tuesday night. | Burke was made aware of the allegations of abuse on Manus Island a week ago – prior to the government's radical policy shift last Friday, which will see more asylum seekers dispatched to PNG. Burke says he made several attempts to make contact with the whistleblower who spoke to SBS, Rod St George – a security manager on Manus Island – but he was unable to proceed with the conversation until Tuesday night. |
| The Greens immigration spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, attacked Labor for pressing ahead with the PNG policy when it was aware there were serious allegations of abuse and violence at Manus Island. | The Greens immigration spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, attacked Labor for pressing ahead with the PNG policy when it was aware there were serious allegations of abuse and violence at Manus Island. |
| Abbott, campaigning on the Gold Coast, declared the allegations "very serious claims". He said if people had done the wrong thing they should be punished. | Abbott, campaigning on the Gold Coast, declared the allegations "very serious claims". He said if people had done the wrong thing they should be punished. |
| Asked by reporters about the latest boat tragedy, Abbott said he was "not crass enough to directly blame anyone in this country for tragedies at sea". | Asked by reporters about the latest boat tragedy, Abbott said he was "not crass enough to directly blame anyone in this country for tragedies at sea". |
| But he rounded on Rudd, declaring he needed to be "man enough to admit he got it wrong" when he dismantled John Howard's deterrence regime after coming to office in 2007. The policy reversal was a "terrible tragic mistake". | But he rounded on Rudd, declaring he needed to be "man enough to admit he got it wrong" when he dismantled John Howard's deterrence regime after coming to office in 2007. The policy reversal was a "terrible tragic mistake". |
| Rudd has already acknowledged that he made missteps in the management of asylum seekers during his first term as prime minister. | Rudd has already acknowledged that he made missteps in the management of asylum seekers during his first term as prime minister. |
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