Nauru first day priority for Abbott govt

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he'll immediately begin sorting out the
asylum-seeker problem if he wins office.
He promises he would call Nauru on his first day in the job.
"I'll pick up the phone to the president of Nauru on day one," he told reporters in
Cairns on Monday, adding that asylum seekers could be sent to the Pacific nation
within weeks of the coalition winning the election.
The plan to recommission the detention centre on Nauru is central to Mr Abbott's
pledge to "stop the boats".
But Labor has refused to consider Nauru as an option, because unlike East Timor, the
island nation is not a signatory to the United Nations convention on refugees.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants East Timor to become home to a regional refugee
processing hub as part of her plan for combating people smuggling.
"My understanding is Nauru would have its detention centres open within a matter of
weeks," Mr Abbott said.
"We would move as quickly as we humanly could to have third-country offshore
processing," Mr Abbott said.
The opposition leader also said it was his understanding that legislation would not
be needed to re-introduce temporary protection visas - another key plank of the
coalition's asylum-seeker policy.
"To the extent that it is, parliament will do it as soon as it sits.
"To the extent that we can do it by regulation, well, we'll do that as quickly as we
can."