Coalition's asylum policy 'could put lives at risk'

6 Jul 2012, 6:44 pm   -   Source: SBS Staff
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Former ADF Chief Chris Barrie has slammed the Coalition's policy of turning back the boats saying it puts lives at risk.

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Former ADF Chief Chris Barrie has slammed the Coalition's policy of turning back the boats saying it puts lives at risk. 

“It’s a very risky policy," he told SBS Chief Political Correspondent Karen Middleton.

"If that’s a policy outcome, that is putting people’s lives at risk, then that is a policy we should not be following”.

As chief of the Defence Force under the Howard government, Barrie became involved in the "Children Overboard Affair" in 2001. 

“One of the problems I see going back to the last week of the parliamentary sitting is that we seem to be stuck. We do not seem to have much imagination when solving this problem and frankly I cannot see it going away”.

“My concern is to continue to implement a policy like that, it will seriously put people’s lives at risk”.

He also says a regional solution must be sought in consultation with Indonesia, as the country will be highly overpopulated in the coming decades.

“Offshore processing ought to be done closer to the places asylum seekers are coming from” he said.

Mr Barrie says Australian should raise its refugee intake to accept asylum seekers fleeing from persecution and war torn countries.

Australia took in 13,799 refugees under the Humanitarian Program in 2010-2011. Critics says that's a very low number compared to other developed nations.

“I look at Australia, the country with the second lowest population density on the planet, and think there is a lot of space here for people who might need a home”.

Asylum Seeker Policy , Asylum Seeker Boat , Analysis

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Your Comments

YES IT WILL

Mark - from Moonta, 11 months ago

Howard copied the cuba solution by trying to turn back boats and that caused the death of women and children in cuba. abbott does not want a solution if this minor problem is solved he will not be able to say stop the boats and we all know abbott needs the racist element in aus to vote for him.Abbott is trying to say what would the navy know.I mean after all abbott thinks he is the messiah when he really is a very naughty boy.COME ON MALCOLM get rid of this buffon.

It's easy to defend asylum seekers and "humanity" when not paying from your own pocket

Critic - from Perth, 11 months ago

"Mr Barrie says Australian should raise its refugee intake to accept asylum seekers fleeing from persecution and war torn countries. " Let him build few free houses for them on HIS money. “I look at Australia, the country with the second lowest population density on the planet, and think there is a lot of space here for people who might need a home”. Would Mr Barrie feed them from his own pocket? Or give them work and education? The world today is not built for such a chariy.

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