ID :
205314
Mon, 09/05/2011 - 13:56
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/205314
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Admit Nauru is wrong, Gillard tells Abbott
SYDNEY (AAP) - 05 Sept. - The federal government is sticking with offshore processing of asylum seekers even if it means changing the law and potentially causing a split in Labor's ranks.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen played down the potential for internal rifts as the government contemplates amending the Migration Act.
"It's not a matter of staring anybody down," he told Sky News on Monday.
"Nobody is pretending that it is easy on one side of politics or the other to reach a consensus on these views.
"(But) there's respect in the caucus for the government's position of stepping through these issues methodically."
With members of the Labor left already offside, the government has again been swamped by calls to reject offshore processing, this time from the Australian Greens and a league of 200 charity groups.
Mr Bowen on Monday announced that 330-plus asylum seekers left in limbo by the High Court's scuttling of government's refugee swap deal with Malaysia would be processed on Christmas Island.
But he insists offshore processing remains part of the government's plan to deter boat arrivals.
On Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard signalled she was ready to do a deal to change the Migration Act with the help of the coalition.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is willing to negotiate but first Ms Gillard wants him to admit the High Court's decision also puts his Nauru plan out of action.
"If Mr Abbott is sincere about this offer he needs to make it very clear that he is talking about working with the government on offshore processing generally, not on his narrow solution," she told reporters in Canberra.
"It is not correct to say ... that, for example, Nauru, which is Mr Abbott's plan, could be proceeded without legal risk."
She insists the legal consensus is that all offshore processing plans are now in doubt.
The coalition continues to insist that last week's High Court decision didn't rule out its plan to reopen the detention centre in Nauru.
Mr Abbott said he wants to help the government make offshore processing a viable and lawful option, arguing it shouldn't be swayed by the Greens and the party's left.
Asked whether the offer of assistance extended to the Malaysia deal, Mr Abbott said the deal with Kuala Lumpur was always a bad one.
"But I'm not in the business of ruling things in or ruling things out," he told reporters.
Pressed on whether the migration laws could be changed to be "Nauru-specific", Mr Abbott said he didn't want to be "too prescriptive".
He asked Ms Gillard to come up with a proposal and denied the offer of assistance was dependent on reopening Nauru or other conditions, such as the reintroduction of temporary protection visas (TPVs).
"We're not laying out any conditions such as has been suggested with TPVs and others," opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison told ABC Television.
"If they wish to change the act we'd be happy to work with them to achieve it."
A new poll published by News Limited shows 78 per cent of respondents rated Labor's handling of asylum seekers as "bad" - a jump from 53 per cent in November 2009.
Only 12 per cent of voters rated Labor as the best party to handle asylum seekers, compared to 38 per cent for the coalition.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen played down the potential for internal rifts as the government contemplates amending the Migration Act.
"It's not a matter of staring anybody down," he told Sky News on Monday.
"Nobody is pretending that it is easy on one side of politics or the other to reach a consensus on these views.
"(But) there's respect in the caucus for the government's position of stepping through these issues methodically."
With members of the Labor left already offside, the government has again been swamped by calls to reject offshore processing, this time from the Australian Greens and a league of 200 charity groups.
Mr Bowen on Monday announced that 330-plus asylum seekers left in limbo by the High Court's scuttling of government's refugee swap deal with Malaysia would be processed on Christmas Island.
But he insists offshore processing remains part of the government's plan to deter boat arrivals.
On Monday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard signalled she was ready to do a deal to change the Migration Act with the help of the coalition.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is willing to negotiate but first Ms Gillard wants him to admit the High Court's decision also puts his Nauru plan out of action.
"If Mr Abbott is sincere about this offer he needs to make it very clear that he is talking about working with the government on offshore processing generally, not on his narrow solution," she told reporters in Canberra.
"It is not correct to say ... that, for example, Nauru, which is Mr Abbott's plan, could be proceeded without legal risk."
She insists the legal consensus is that all offshore processing plans are now in doubt.
The coalition continues to insist that last week's High Court decision didn't rule out its plan to reopen the detention centre in Nauru.
Mr Abbott said he wants to help the government make offshore processing a viable and lawful option, arguing it shouldn't be swayed by the Greens and the party's left.
Asked whether the offer of assistance extended to the Malaysia deal, Mr Abbott said the deal with Kuala Lumpur was always a bad one.
"But I'm not in the business of ruling things in or ruling things out," he told reporters.
Pressed on whether the migration laws could be changed to be "Nauru-specific", Mr Abbott said he didn't want to be "too prescriptive".
He asked Ms Gillard to come up with a proposal and denied the offer of assistance was dependent on reopening Nauru or other conditions, such as the reintroduction of temporary protection visas (TPVs).
"We're not laying out any conditions such as has been suggested with TPVs and others," opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison told ABC Television.
"If they wish to change the act we'd be happy to work with them to achieve it."
A new poll published by News Limited shows 78 per cent of respondents rated Labor's handling of asylum seekers as "bad" - a jump from 53 per cent in November 2009.
Only 12 per cent of voters rated Labor as the best party to handle asylum seekers, compared to 38 per cent for the coalition.
