Save Search
    Prev   Next   Return to results listPrint ListEmail Document Link

Title

30 boats due to Tony Abbott's negativity

Database

Press Releases

Date

11-05-2012

Abstract

 

Citation Id

1625026

Cover date

11 May, 2012

Enrichment

 

Format

 

In Government

yes

Item

 

Key item

 

Major subject

 

Minor subject

 

MP

yes

Pages

2p.

Party

 

Speech

No

System Id

media/pressrel/1625026


Note: Where available, the PDF/Word icon below is provided to view the complete and fully formatted document
30 boats due to Tony Abbott's negativity



Download PDFDownload PDF

CHRIS BOWEN MP

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP

JASON CLARE MP MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER FOR JUSTICE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE MATERIEL

MEDIA RELEASE

11 May 2012

30 BOATS DUE TO TONY ABBOTT’S NEGATIVITY

As Tony Abbott continues to reject offshore processing for purely political purposes, another asylum seeker boat was intercepted off Christmas Island last night.

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, and Minister for Home Affairs, Jason Clare MP, said this was the 30th boat since the Coalition refused the Government’s offer to work together to implement a deterrent to stop the flow of boats.

“The Australian people rightly expect that the Government of the day should be able to implement its border protection policies, but Tony Abbott continues to stand in the way of progress on offshore processing,” Mr Bowen said.

“Offshore processing cannot proceed without legislation, but Mr Abbott happily refuses to vote for it because his political interest is more important to him than the national interest.

“This is in stark contrast to the last time this country faced a similar situation, when Kim Beazley allowed John Howard to implement offshore processing more than 10 years ago.”

Mr Clare said the boats would keep coming as long as Tony Abbott said no.

"If the Labor Party had opposed John Howard's terrorism laws after 9/11 or offshore processing laws after Tampa we would have been condemned, and rightly so," Mr Clare said.

"The same applies here - this is in the national interest and lives are at risk.

"Tony Abbott should give the Government the power to stop these boat arrivals the way the Labor Party gave John Howard the power to pass terrorism laws after 9/11 and offshore processing after Tampa.

"If Mr Abbott is serious about stopping the boats he must stop saying no and pass our legislation to allow asylum seekers to be processed offshore in Malaysia and Nauru."

Media Contacts: Bill Kyriakopoulos 0400 510 802 / Laura Stevens 0432 833 769 (Bowen) Korena Flanagan 0418 251 316 (Clare)