Gillard wins backing on offshore processing

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 13/09/2011

Reporter: Philippa McDonald

The Prime Minister has won the support of the Labor Caucus for broad changes to the Migration Act to give her Government the power to set up offshore processing of asylum seekers and to revive the so-called Malaysia Solution.

Transcript

ALI MOORE, PRESENTER: The Prime Minister has won the support of the Labor Caucus for broad changes to the Migration Act to give her Government the power to set up offshore processing of asylum seekers and to revive the so-called Malaysia Solution.

Julia Gillard has called for Tony Abbott’s support, but so far the Opposition’s making no promises, calling the Government’s Malaysia policy offshore dumping.

And the Government’s partners, the Greens, say they will not support any moves to bypass the recent High Court decision and bring back offshore processing.

Philippa McDonald reports from Canberra.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD, REPORTER: It was predicted to be a fiery Labor Caucus meeting.

ANDREW LEIGH, LABOR MP: We’ll have a valuable and thoughtful conversation about this, as always happens in the Labor Party.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: But for prominent members of Labor’s Left faction, this was a disappointing day.

DOUG CAMERON, LABOR SENATOR: By sending asylum seekers overseas for processing, we are vilifying and victimising the victims of people smugglers.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: After a two-and-a-half hour meeting, Labor Caucus backed legislative amendments designed to revive the Malaysia deal.

JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: Malaysia offered the best answer to the issue of asylum seekers and people smuggling then. It offers the best answer now. We are determined to pursue bringing to life the arrangement that we have made with Malaysia.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: While she wasn’t giving details, the Prime Minister says they’ll be broad changes to the Migration Act, which will restore the right of the Government to transfer and process asylum seekers in third countries.

JULIA GILLARD: The best solution, from our point of view, is the arrangement with Malaysia with a complimentary centre in PNG.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Julia Gillard upped the ante and called on the Opposition to support the changes.

JULIA GILLARD: And I am not asking Tony Abbott to give me any more power as Prime Minister than he would seek for himself if he were ever Prime Minister.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Tony Abbott says he’ll consider the Government’s proposal after he sees the amendments, but he continued to attack the Malaysia option.

TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: Malaysia is not offshore processing, Malaysia is offshore dumping. And I say to the Prime Minister: if she’s serious about stopping the boats, she’ll swallow her pride, she’ll just stop the stubbornness and she’ll pick up the phone to the President of Nauru.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: The sparring continued in Question Time.

JULIA GILLARD: He’s been told by the best advice available to Government that Nauru won’t work. He’s been told by the best advice available to government that it will cost hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars.

TONY ABBOTT: Why is the Prime Minister persisting with a policy that has been rejected by the High Court and many in her own party and which offends every principle that she has ever espoused?

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: The Greens are accusing the Government of cuddling up to the Opposition.

BOB BROWN, GREENS LEADER: The Prime Minister is wrong, she is seriously wrong. She is out of touch with the Australian people.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: And Bob Brown warned the Government not to count on Green support.

BOB BROWN: The Greens will not be supporting the Government’s legislation; nor will we be supporting Coalition amendments to this legislation. We may well put up our own amendments.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: Human rights groups have condemned the Government’s proposed changes to the Migration Act to ensure offshore processing. The Human Rights Commission and Amnesty say it waters down protections for some of the world’s most vulnerable people, including children. But the Government hopes to introduce its amendments as early as next week.

Tomorrow the Government will introduce its carbon tax legislation.

GREG COMBET, CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: The time for inaction has passed. It is time for the Parliament to take the practical steps to cut pollution and drive the investment that we need.

GREG HUNT, OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN: They are giving members of Parliament less than one minute, per member, per bill. Nineteen bills all up, very little time to debate it and one minute, per member, per bill makes a farce of democracy.

PHILIPPA MCDONALD: A vote in the Lower House is expected on October 12.

Philippa McDonald, Lateline.

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