LABOR candidate for Lyne Peter Alley has thrown his support behind Kevin Rudd’s controversial Papua New Guinea refugee policy.
Mr Alley said he believed it would lead to a reduction in the number of deaths at sea.
“The sea-worthiness of many of the boats mean a number of them sink,” he said.
“Consequently well over a thousand lives have been lost at sea. We have an obligation to protect asylum seekers and to seek to prevent this loss of life.”
Mr Alley said he was uncomfortable with the indefinite detention of refugees – particularly children – under the previous arrangement.
“There is a mechanism for people to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and once assessed the UNHCR will seek to resettle them,” he said.
“However, this system is clearly under-resourced and once assessed there is no guarantee that they will be accepted by a host country.
“It is no wonder that people seek alternative solutions.”
Mr Alley said he could see no rational reason to believe that asylum seekers coming to Australia were of any greater need of our protection than those sitting in any refugee camp anywhere in the world.
“Australia is a large and wealthy nation and should be generous to those seeking refuge,” he said.
“We are, however, a sovereign democracy and therefore the collective views of the Australian people need to be considered.
“We need to have a rational discussion in the Australian community about our place in the world and our obligations to our neighbours, but it is too politically charged at the moment. I hope that this will change.”
