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/jul/23/bill-shorten-will-win-support-for-boat-turnback-policy-powerbroker-predicts
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Bill Shorten will win support for boat turnback policy, powerbroker predicts | Bill Shorten will win support for boat turnback policy, powerbroker predicts |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy, an influential rightwing powerbroker, has predicted Bill Shorten will win support at the party’s national conference to turn back asylum seeker boats despite anger in Labor’s left and sections of the right over the policy backflip. | Labor frontbencher Stephen Conroy, an influential rightwing powerbroker, has predicted Bill Shorten will win support at the party’s national conference to turn back asylum seeker boats despite anger in Labor’s left and sections of the right over the policy backflip. |
| Party numbers on Labor adopting the controversial Abbott government policy of turnbacks were too close to call on Thursday, as the left and right faction meetings continued in Melbourne ahead of the three-day conference. | |
| Shorten has already faced condemnation from within his own party as well as from the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) which said turnback policies were contrary to the 1951 refugee convention and set a “negative precedent” for countries already hosting large numbers of asylum seekers. | Shorten has already faced condemnation from within his own party as well as from the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) which said turnback policies were contrary to the 1951 refugee convention and set a “negative precedent” for countries already hosting large numbers of asylum seekers. |
| Related: Shorten faces test over plan to adopt Coalition's asylum boat turnback policy | Related: Shorten faces test over plan to adopt Coalition's asylum boat turnback policy |
| Addressing Labor supporters at his pre-conference drinks in Melbourne, former cabinet minister Anthony Albanese said he had “grave concerns about yesterday’s announcement on asylum seekers”. | |
| The party should present a vision of “aspiration, inspiration and hope”, he said to applause. “That is how we have been successful in the past,” Albanese said. | |
| Former Labor speaker Anna Burke, a non-aligned party member, said Shorten should have allowed the debate on the floor of the Labor conference rather than stating a fixed preference for boat turnbacks before members had a chance to debate. | Former Labor speaker Anna Burke, a non-aligned party member, said Shorten should have allowed the debate on the floor of the Labor conference rather than stating a fixed preference for boat turnbacks before members had a chance to debate. |
| “Hopefully the leader and the shadow would have put it up for debate on the conference floor to discuss,” Burke told the ABC. | “Hopefully the leader and the shadow would have put it up for debate on the conference floor to discuss,” Burke told the ABC. |
| “I don’t think there is a need to be trumpeting turnbacks, I think there are other ways and means of doing a humane approach to people-seeking asylum in our country that doesn’t open up the people-smuggling trade and I am very disappointed by this overnight announcement pre-empting what is going to happen at conference.” | “I don’t think there is a need to be trumpeting turnbacks, I think there are other ways and means of doing a humane approach to people-seeking asylum in our country that doesn’t open up the people-smuggling trade and I am very disappointed by this overnight announcement pre-empting what is going to happen at conference.” |
| Burke, who has been a longstanding critic of asylum seeker policies adopted by Labor and the government, said it was not even clear the turnback policy was working due to the secrecy around the government’s border policies. | Burke, who has been a longstanding critic of asylum seeker policies adopted by Labor and the government, said it was not even clear the turnback policy was working due to the secrecy around the government’s border policies. |
| But Conroy acknowledged it had been a tortuous debate for Labor but the party needed to be allowed to implement turnbacks in government, “where it was safe” to save lives. | But Conroy acknowledged it had been a tortuous debate for Labor but the party needed to be allowed to implement turnbacks in government, “where it was safe” to save lives. |
| “This is a very difficult debate for the Labor party,” Conroy told Sky News. “We have tortured ourselves, debated this for many many years but what we saw during our last government was through a combination of factors, nearly 1,200 people died at sea. Now that is not acceptable for any person in the Labor party. | “This is a very difficult debate for the Labor party,” Conroy told Sky News. “We have tortured ourselves, debated this for many many years but what we saw during our last government was through a combination of factors, nearly 1,200 people died at sea. Now that is not acceptable for any person in the Labor party. |
| “I believe in the end Bill’s position will carry the conference floor and we will then be able to move on and talk about why does Tony Abbott want to break another promise, when he said no GST.” | “I believe in the end Bill’s position will carry the conference floor and we will then be able to move on and talk about why does Tony Abbott want to break another promise, when he said no GST.” |
| Related: Labor's left faction pushes for ban on asylum seeker boat turnbacks | Related: Labor's left faction pushes for ban on asylum seeker boat turnbacks |
| Shorten and his immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, revealed their support for the policy last night, 12 hours before the Labor factions were due to meet before the conference to determine their final positions. | Shorten and his immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, revealed their support for the policy last night, 12 hours before the Labor factions were due to meet before the conference to determine their final positions. |
| “I think it’s clear that the combination of regional resettlement with offshore processing, and also the turnback policy, is defeating people smugglers,” Shorten told the ABC’s 7.30. | “I think it’s clear that the combination of regional resettlement with offshore processing, and also the turnback policy, is defeating people smugglers,” Shorten told the ABC’s 7.30. |
| “It’s not easy, though, because it involves the admission, I think, that mistakes were made when Labor was last in government. | “It’s not easy, though, because it involves the admission, I think, that mistakes were made when Labor was last in government. |
| “And for myself, if I want to be the leader of this nation, I’ve got to be able to face the truth and the truth for me is that if we have policies in place which gives sustenance and support to people smugglers to exploit vulnerable people … I can’t support any policies which do that.” | “And for myself, if I want to be the leader of this nation, I’ve got to be able to face the truth and the truth for me is that if we have policies in place which gives sustenance and support to people smugglers to exploit vulnerable people … I can’t support any policies which do that.” |
| Shorten has placed his leadership authority on the line with the policy change but he rejected the notion that he would “give up” if conference did not endorse his position. “I’m not the sort of person who gives up,” he said. | Shorten has placed his leadership authority on the line with the policy change but he rejected the notion that he would “give up” if conference did not endorse his position. “I’m not the sort of person who gives up,” he said. |
| Shorten accused Abbott of defeating Labor’s Malaysia solution which focused on regional resettlement, as one of the recommendations from the Houston report. | Shorten accused Abbott of defeating Labor’s Malaysia solution which focused on regional resettlement, as one of the recommendations from the Houston report. |
| The UNHCR said turnback policies contravened the refugee convention which requires asylum seekers to be screened in a proper process. | The UNHCR said turnback policies contravened the refugee convention which requires asylum seekers to be screened in a proper process. |
| “UNHCR considers that actions to intercept and turnback boats carrying asylum-seekers are contrary to the spirit of the 1951 refugee convention, and the practice of turning back boats carrying potential asylum seekers sets a negative precedent for other countries that are hosting large numbers of asylum seekers and who do not have legal frameworks and safeguards in place and may seek to emulate Australia’s practices and policies,” its statement said. | “UNHCR considers that actions to intercept and turnback boats carrying asylum-seekers are contrary to the spirit of the 1951 refugee convention, and the practice of turning back boats carrying potential asylum seekers sets a negative precedent for other countries that are hosting large numbers of asylum seekers and who do not have legal frameworks and safeguards in place and may seek to emulate Australia’s practices and policies,” its statement said. |
| “This may have serious consequences for the international system of protection that relies on the sharing, not shifting of responsibilities.” | “This may have serious consequences for the international system of protection that relies on the sharing, not shifting of responsibilities.” |
| Western Australian MP Alannah MacTiernan, another non-aligned member, announced on Sky News on Thursday night that she supports turnbacks, but only if it is passed in conjunction with the proposal to double the refugee intake to 27,000. | Western Australian MP Alannah MacTiernan, another non-aligned member, announced on Sky News on Thursday night that she supports turnbacks, but only if it is passed in conjunction with the proposal to double the refugee intake to 27,000. |
| “We do see that the current government’s policy settings have been working, and we need to leave open the possibility of us engaging in boat turnbacks if that is a necessary part of keeping the system working,” she said. | “We do see that the current government’s policy settings have been working, and we need to leave open the possibility of us engaging in boat turnbacks if that is a necessary part of keeping the system working,” she said. |
| MacTiernan said that increasing the refugee intake would act as a sweetener for Labor delegates still struggling with the turnback concept. | MacTiernan said that increasing the refugee intake would act as a sweetener for Labor delegates still struggling with the turnback concept. |
| “The quid pro quo for this is going to be something that is immeasurably valuable,” she said. “There is a great upside to this. If we can extract from this a doubling of our intake then I am more than happy to stand behind that policy.” | “The quid pro quo for this is going to be something that is immeasurably valuable,” she said. “There is a great upside to this. If we can extract from this a doubling of our intake then I am more than happy to stand behind that policy.” |
| Writing in the Labor Herald on Thursday, Tasmanian senator Lisa Singh opposed the policy and echoed the UNHCR statement. | Writing in the Labor Herald on Thursday, Tasmanian senator Lisa Singh opposed the policy and echoed the UNHCR statement. |
| “That is why Labor must stand by the principle of non-refoulement, central to the refugee convention, of which Australia is a signatory,” she wrote. | “That is why Labor must stand by the principle of non-refoulement, central to the refugee convention, of which Australia is a signatory,” she wrote. |
| “This principle highlights that a person seeking refuge must not be returned or ‘turned back’ to a place where they face possible persecution.” | “This principle highlights that a person seeking refuge must not be returned or ‘turned back’ to a place where they face possible persecution.” |
| The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said Shorten would not “stare down” people smugglers and accused him of using “soft words” to placate the public. | The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said Shorten would not “stare down” people smugglers and accused him of using “soft words” to placate the public. |
| “The problem for Bill Shorten is that on the horizon he sees an election,” Dutton said. “He has come up with this soft form of words that he thinks will somehow placate the public because they have serious concerns about Labor’s inability to stop the boats.” | “The problem for Bill Shorten is that on the horizon he sees an election,” Dutton said. “He has come up with this soft form of words that he thinks will somehow placate the public because they have serious concerns about Labor’s inability to stop the boats.” |
| Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said turnbacks were dangerous and were not about saving lives but rather pushing people away to “die somewhere else”. | Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said turnbacks were dangerous and were not about saving lives but rather pushing people away to “die somewhere else”. |
| “Rather than pushing refugees over the horizon to die somewhere else, Australia needs to engage in our region to help provide safer passage and options for refugees,” she said. | “Rather than pushing refugees over the horizon to die somewhere else, Australia needs to engage in our region to help provide safer passage and options for refugees,” she said. |
| “If every country turned boats away, thousands of refugees would die every week and the entire refugee system would collapse. Australia must stop being so arrogant and instead help our neighbours offer safety to refugees through humanitarian assistance, resettlement and search and rescue. | “If every country turned boats away, thousands of refugees would die every week and the entire refugee system would collapse. Australia must stop being so arrogant and instead help our neighbours offer safety to refugees through humanitarian assistance, resettlement and search and rescue. |