Fed: MPs back government's decision to turn boat back

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2001
Fed: MPs back government's decision to turn boat back

CANBERRA, Aug 28 AAP - Coalition MPs today backed the government's hardline stance
against allowing a boatload of 438 asylum-seekers into Australia.

Liberal Party MP Peter Slipper said if Indonesia wanted to be a good international
citizen it should accept the people stranded off Christmas Island on the Norwegian freighter
Tampa.

"Those people left Indonesia," he told reporters.

"If Indonesia wants to be a good international citizen, then Indonesia ought to observe
its international obligations.

"This is a golden opportunity for President Megawati (Sukarnoputri) to get her presidency
off to a good start."

The Norwegian-flagged merchantman was refused entry to Australian waters by the federal
government after it rescued the asylum seekers from a sinking Indonesian fishing boat
in international waters.

National Party MP Stuart St Clair also supported the decision, saying while Australia
was a caring nation, a line had to be drawn somewhere.

"At the end of the day, we have got a large number of people obviously thinking that
Australia is a soft touch," he told reporters.

"It's creating unrest amongst our people, as you are more than aware. I find that in
my electorate.

"I think if they're going to have people picked up in international waters which were
under the control of the Indonesians, then maybe the boat should go back there."

West Australian Liberal senator Winston Crane said WA residents had had enough and
it was time Australia stopped bearing the brunt of the world's refugee problem.

"We've had enough of it, we're carrying the burden for this in our state.

"It's wrong what is going on.

"The vast majority of these people are not refugees, they're paying their way into
Australia and - quite frankly - it's time we took a much firmer stand," he said.

Senator Crane said it was irrelevant that some of the asylum-seekers had threatened
to jump overboard if the Tampa did not take them to Australian territory.

"That's beside the point. I have no sympathy whatsoever for this particular situation
and Australia should not have to pick up yet again the cost of what's happened with illegal
immigrants," he said.

"God only knows who was in control of that boat, they were probably being paid to bring
those people to Australia. It's a nonsense."

AAP jb/kmh/daw/cjh/

KEYWORD: BOAT MPS

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