Rudd to blame for boat people surge: Downer

16 October 2009 | 12:21:31 PM | Source: AAP

a downer

Mr Downer says the scrapping of the Howard government's border protection regime, including measures such the Pacific Solution and Temporary Protection Visas, had put people smugglers back in business. (AAP)

Former foreign minister Alexander Downer says the Rudd government is to blame for the surge in asylum seekers heading for Australia.

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Mr Downer says the scrapping of the Howard government's border protection regime, including measures such the Pacific Solution and Temporary Protection Visas, had put people smugglers back in business.

"And thirdly, what we used to do with the navy was not go out and greet these boats," Mr Downer told Fairfax Radio on Friday.

"If they weren't in Australian territorial waters, in the Australian migration zone, the navy would tow the boats back to Indonesian territorial waters and give them enough fuel to get back to Indonesia."

"The (measures) were abolished, and so obviously for the people smugglers, Australia is open for business again."

Mr Downer said the Howard government was much tougher on asylum seekers and border protection.

"When I was in the cabinet we agonised about a lot of these measures.

They were very tough." "But my government was tough for a good reason. We wanted to cut out this people smuggling."

The former foreign minister, now the UN envoy to Cyprus, also disputes the refugee claims of the 250 Sri Lankan asylum seekers that were intercepted by the Indonesian navy at the weekend while on their way to Australia.

The group, which is moored in its boat in the western Java city of Merak, on Thursday night declared they would maintain a hunger strike until a Western country, such as Australia, promised to resettle them.

But Mr Downer said they could not genuinely claim to be fleeing Sri Lanka because of conflict.

"Up until a few months ago there was a civil war in Sri Lanka between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government," he said.

"That though has come to an end and the country is now at peace. So, I don't think these people can genuinely claim to be fleeing war, because there is no war there."

However, refugee advocates say the group of Tamils face persecution in Sri Lanka.

More than 250,000 people remain in refugee camps in Sri Lanka as a result of the long-standing civil war between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government.

The Tamil Tigers were crushed by the Sri Lankan government earlier this year, ending a conflict that spanned more than 20 years.

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Your Comments

18 Nov 2009 14:37 AEST

Bill

From: Burnie Tasmania

Mr

I have read most the comments here and just about everyone agrees that these so called "boat people" are just looking to get into Auistralia to bludge off us! It is about time our government started asking us what we think and listen to us!! What would all the old diggers say about our soft touch if they could? The answer is obvious, is Australia worth fighting for? YES it is! as it was before and still is today! Good doers want these bludges here as long as they do not live next to them!

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02 Nov 2009 21:27 AEST

Sam

From: Brisbane

Downer is right

Rudd's policies are encouraging people to come here illegally.
The only way to stop the people smuggling is for Rudd to admit he was wrong and change his policies to stop it.
Bring back temporary visas and stop welfare for the boat people.
It may seem harsh but it is the humane thing to do to stop people drowning in their attempt to get here.

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17 Oct 2009 21:48 AEST

Brad

From: Sydney

Why is this man being taken seriously in the debate????

Alexander Downer was part of the Howard Govt that sent our troops to Iraq based on lies. He knew about the bribes paid by the AWB to Saddam. He was part of the Govt that lied about the Children being thrown overboard so they surf back into office at a time when we were all shocked by the Sept 11th attacks. Apparently lies that support the Coalition side of politics are OK. He is not in public life anymore and represents no-one. I personally think this man being given air time is a disgrace.

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17 Oct 2009 9:16 AEST

Michael Newhouse

From: London

So-called "Asylum seekers"

Let us get the facts straight. These are all Tamils – and, therefore, their Homeland is Tamil Nadu (which translates as “Tamil country”) in south India. So what are they doing so far away from India? If they want asylum, they should be going in the OPPOSITE direction – back to India! Some of them have claimed to be “fleeing” from Sri Lanka! “Fleeing”? But the terrorism was conducted BY TAMILS – who brutally murdered more than 85,000 indigenous Sinhelas in Sri Lanka during the past thirty years!

Agree (5 people agree)
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16 Oct 2009 23:08 AEST

Flossy

From: Adelaide

Ms

Alexander Down...Downer? Isn't he the man who couldn't remember anything, or didn't know anything about the AWB scandal? Amazing how now he knows everything about everything. Oh how parliament drags you down!

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