Rudd Government immigration policies encourage people smugglers

Rudd Government immigration policies encourage people smugglers, say Opposition | National News | News.com.au

AAP

April 16, 2009 03:28pm

THE Rudd Government has created the impression that Australia is now more accommodating for asylum seekers, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says.
At least three people died when a boat carrying asylum seekers exploded off the northwest coast of Australia.

Mr Turnbull said there had been a rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australian waters.

"The Rudd Government has made changes to the rules and procedures dealing with unlawful asylum seekers ... and people smuggling," Mr Turnbull said.

"There is no doubt the impression had been created that we are more accommodating, or taking a less hard line on people smuggling than we have in the past.

"There has been a significant increase in people smuggling.

"That is a very bad thing."

Earlier, opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone said the Government had created a "dangerous situation" that was always going to end in tragedy with its "soft policy".
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"Perhaps we are going to see more of these tragedies in the coming weeks and months," she told Sky News.

Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said this was not the time to be making that kind of accusation.

"The last time people tried to make politics in an incident like this we had a most unpleasant circumstance in Australian national life," Mr Debus said, presumably referring to the "children overboard" episode during John Howard's time in office.

"I do assure that the Rudd Government is not going to be playing politics out of these kind of incidents.

"We are going to give you the truth and we are going to report to you accurately what is going on.

We are not going to speculate and certainly we are not going to play that political card."

Mr Turnbull said the explosion was a terrible tragedy.

He said the injuries to ADF personnel and the deaths of asylum seekers showed the dangers of people smuggling.

"It puts lives at risk - the lives of those that venture in the boats, and as we can see, the lives of Australian servicemen and servicewomen," he said.