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Boat policy will cost me votes: Burke

Labor MP Anna Burke says the government's PNG solution to the asylum seeker issue will cost her votes.

Boat policy will cost me votes: Burke
Labor MP Anna Burke says the government's solution to the asylum seeker issue will cost her votes.

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Source: AAP


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Speaker Anna Burke says the federal government's policy to process and settle asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea will cost her votes.

Ms Burke, who holds the Melbourne seat of Chisholm, says she'll raise concerns about the policy at Monday's special caucus meeting in Sydney and believes voters will find it hard to distinguish between the asylum seekers policies of Labor and the Coalition.

Ms Burke, who has previously been outspoken about offshore processing on Nauru and Manus Island, says the policy is one sided and while it may stop the boats coming, it does nothing to deal with the asylum seeker issue.

"Certainly from the emails I have been reading this morning from my electorate over the weekend is very unhappy with the proposal from the Labor party," she told ABC Radio in Melbourne.

"It certainly costs me votes, certainly costs me votes. Whether they move to the Liberal Party is another thing entirely, but in some respects they might because they will say what is the difference between the two of you and people need to think about that."

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She said the hope was the policy would stop the boats coming.

"If we achieve that end and no-one looses their lives at sea, maybe there is some benefit in it," she said.


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