Senior Liberal MP Joe Hockey has broken ranks with a Coalition colleague critical of the funeral arrangements for victims of the Christmas Island boat tragedy, saying Australia has an "obligation" to their families.
A row has broken out over taxpayer-funded travel arrangements for family attending funeral services for victims of December's Christmas Island disaster, with the opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison saying the cost was unreasonable.
But opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey disagreed, saying "I would never seek to deny a parent or a child from saying goodbye to their relative".
At least 30 people died when the asylum seeker boat crashed on rocks and broke apart off Christmas Island's Rocky Point on December 15.
"No matter what the colour of your skin, no matter what the nature of your faith, if your child has died or a father has died, you want to be there for the ceremony to say goodbye, and I totally understand the importance of this to those families," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
"I think we as a compassionate nation have an obligation to ensure that we retain our humanity during what is a very difficult policy debate."
The government has defended its decision to cover the cost of flying the asylum-seeker group from Christmas Island to Sydney where the funerals are being held on Tuesday.
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