Oppn slams people smuggler strategy

The federal opposition has accused the government of trying to deal with the problem
of asylum seekers in Indonesia by splashing money on a new strategy to keep people
smugglers out of Australian waters.

The federal government is reportedly seeking a new arrangement with Indonesia after
an influx of asylum seekers has left the Australia's Christmas Island detention
facility at near capacity.
Australia already gives Indonesia $20 million a year to deal with the problem of
people smuggling.
That amount will be "massively expanded" under the new plan, the Weekend Australian
reports.
The extra money will fund detention centres, extra naval pursuits and the resettling
of asylum seekers in Indonesia.
A spokesman for the prime minister did not confirm or deny the report but said it
was important for Australia to work with Indonesia.
The statement was echoed by government frontbencher Penny Wong.
"It is sensible for this government to consider what are the best ways we can work
cooperatively in our region to counter people smuggling," Senator Wong told
reporters in Adelaide on Saturday.
Opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone said no amount of money would stop
people smugglers targeting Australia and its "soft" border protection policies.
"This is just a public relations stunt because the government has panicked over the
recent surge of asylum seekers," Dr Stone told AAP.
The former Howard government had "rock solid" border security rules that showed
Australia was determined to maintain control of its borders, she said on Saturday.
"Now the Rudd government just expects Indonesia to do all the heavy lifting. It's no
solution."
Opposition deputy leader Julie Bishop said the federal needed a different border
protection policy.
"Spending millions of dollars of taxpayers' money in Indonesia will not solve the
primary issue and that is: Mr Rudd changed our border protection policies," she told
reporters in Perth.
The opposition is reviewing its detention policy, including Temporary Protection
Visas (TPV) that formed part of the Howard government's approach.
The Refugee Council of Australia says re-introducing TPVs "won't stop the flow of
people escaping persecution".
"The three years following its introduction were the three highest years for asylum
seekers arriving by boat, so it beggars belief opposition MPs believe it will result
in a different outcome," council president John Gibson said.
More than 1,700 boatpeople have arrived in Australia this year, forcing the
government to boost bed numbers at Christmas Island by 200, to 1,400.
The Indonesian navy apprehended a boat carrying more than 250 Tamil asylum seekers
last Sunday following a personal plea from Mr Rudd.
The ethnic Tamil adults have staged a two-day hunger strike aboard the boat in
Merak, western Java, demanding a third country resettle them.
On Saturday the group said it would consider putting an end to the strike after two
men and an eight-month-old baby were taken to hospital.