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http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25341754-911,00.html
Sabotage controversy after asylum-seekers boat explodesArticle from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment MARK KENNY, POLITICAL EDITOR, CANBERRA
April 16, 2009 11:45pm
THE Federal Government is refusing to say if a lethal explosion aboard a boat off Australia's northwest was deliberately lit by its asylum-seeking occupants.
Three people were confirmed dead, while two were missing and about 30 seriously injured after yesterday's inferno, which happened about 7am.
West Australian health co-ordinator Dr Andrew Robertson said 34 patients were expected for medical assessment at Truscott Airbase, north of Kununurra in WA's northwest. "Depending on the severity of their injuries, they will be flown to Perth, Broome or Darwin," Dr Robertson said.
Three aircraft were scheduled to land in Darwin late last night, with a fleet of ambulances on standby to take patients to Royal Darwin Hospital. A medical team also arrived in Broome on a government jet. Up to 15 of the injured are believed to have suffered extreme burns to more than 80 per cent of their bodies.
WA Liberal Premier Colin Barnett said the tragedy was a deliberate tactic. "The refugees spread petrol over their boat, the vessel they were on," he said in Perth. He said it appeared smugglers were testing the Government's new, more moderate, line on refugees.
Mr Barnett's office stated the information was supplied by the WA Emergency Operations Unit, which received it from the Australian Defence Force's Northern Command. Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said it was "too early to say" and it was vital that only facts were released.
"There is much speculation and if the Premier of WA chooses to speculate without having the kind of evidence that we think to be necessary to draw a final conclusion, that is up to him," he said yesterday afternoon.
On the ABC's 7.30 Report last night, he went further.
"Within the last hour, I have spoken to the Commander of Border Protection Command and he says again that although it is likely that fuel was involved in the explosion on the boat, he cannot say for certain that it was," he said.
"In consequence, he cannot answer the question which everyone would like to know: Was this an accident or was it sabotage?"
Mr Barnett's office later said Mr Debus' comments had been noted.
"We understand that the incident requires investigation and that information will be collected in coming days," the statement read.
Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said the arrival of the vessel in Australian territory – the third in a fortnight and the sixth this year – may signal the beginning of an increasing wave of people smuggling flowing from the Rudd Government's softer stance.
"There is no doubt the impression has been created that we are more accommodating, or taking a less hard line on people smuggling than we have in the past," Mr Turnbull said.
"There has been a significant increase in people smuggling. It puts lives at risk, the lives of those that venture in the boats and, as we can see, the lives of Australian servicemen and servicewomen."
The Rudd Government scrapped the Howard Government's "Pacific Solution" and restored legal rights to asylum seekers. Temporary protection visas were also abolished in favour of permanent visas where justified.
Yesterday's incident comes eight years after the notorious "children overboard affair" when the Howard Government claimed incorrectly that asylum seekers had thrown their children in the water in a bid to pressure Australian authorities to take them in rather than be turned away.
Aware of the parallels, the Rudd Government was assuring the public last night that all factual information, including photos and video of the incident taken by the defence forces, would be released immediately.
The vessel, which sank shortly after the blast, was drifting under the control of Australian border protection authorities, who had intercepted it the previous day.
As many as four Australian Defence Force personnel were on board at the time preparing to transport the asylum seekers to Christmas Island for processing. While no Australians are among the dead or missing, it is understood Defence personnel suffered some injuries in the blast and fire.
The blast occurred in open water about 600km north of Broome and 645km west of Darwin, near Ashmore Reef.
The vessel, described as a small wooden boat, originally held 49 males of varying ages, including some minors. All are believed to be Afghanis fleeing that war-torn country.
Two navy patrol vessels, HMAS Childers and HMAS Albany, are at the scene of the tragedy, searching for the missing people.
While the Federal Government, through Mr Debus, and Border Protection Command chief Rear Admiral Allan du Toit, refused to be drawn on key aspects of the incident, citing a lack of reliable information, Mr Barnett was not so reluctant.
"It is understood that two particular persons on the boat spread petrol and that ignited, causing an explosion," he said.
He said it was unclear whether asylum seekers actually started the fire or if the petrol just ignited.
Mr Debus acknowledged the sabotage theory only as a possibility.
"(It is) a possibility that is what occurred but we are not in a position to finally confirm (whether) that is so or not. There will, of course, be a coronial inquiry," he said in Canberra.
Rear Admiral du Toit described conditions at sea as "dead flat" at the time.
Opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone attributed the loss of life directly to the policy change.
"You can't slash funds, you can't take your eye off the ball, you can't announce a softer policy and then expect people not to lose their lives through people-smuggling efforts which, of course, is all about cash, nothing to do with getting an individual, a young person, a family, safely to Australia," she said.
Mr Debus said Dr Stone should withdraw the comments.
----------------------
Seems thes assylum seeks have come to a new high in low. Goes to show you what level these queue jumpers will go to get into Australia.
Time will tell, and we'll see how our 'leftie' Kev deals with this. After all he has lifted our harsh methods when dealing with these dregs when he was elected. You reap what you sew Kev.
Time will tell how this will go.
All the best to the RAN personnel who were injured in this stupid act.
OWDU
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25341754-911,00.html
Sabotage controversy after asylum-seekers boat explodesArticle from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment MARK KENNY, POLITICAL EDITOR, CANBERRA
April 16, 2009 11:45pm
THE Federal Government is refusing to say if a lethal explosion aboard a boat off Australia's northwest was deliberately lit by its asylum-seeking occupants.
Three people were confirmed dead, while two were missing and about 30 seriously injured after yesterday's inferno, which happened about 7am.
West Australian health co-ordinator Dr Andrew Robertson said 34 patients were expected for medical assessment at Truscott Airbase, north of Kununurra in WA's northwest. "Depending on the severity of their injuries, they will be flown to Perth, Broome or Darwin," Dr Robertson said.
Three aircraft were scheduled to land in Darwin late last night, with a fleet of ambulances on standby to take patients to Royal Darwin Hospital. A medical team also arrived in Broome on a government jet. Up to 15 of the injured are believed to have suffered extreme burns to more than 80 per cent of their bodies.
WA Liberal Premier Colin Barnett said the tragedy was a deliberate tactic. "The refugees spread petrol over their boat, the vessel they were on," he said in Perth. He said it appeared smugglers were testing the Government's new, more moderate, line on refugees.
Mr Barnett's office stated the information was supplied by the WA Emergency Operations Unit, which received it from the Australian Defence Force's Northern Command. Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said it was "too early to say" and it was vital that only facts were released.
"There is much speculation and if the Premier of WA chooses to speculate without having the kind of evidence that we think to be necessary to draw a final conclusion, that is up to him," he said yesterday afternoon.
On the ABC's 7.30 Report last night, he went further.
"Within the last hour, I have spoken to the Commander of Border Protection Command and he says again that although it is likely that fuel was involved in the explosion on the boat, he cannot say for certain that it was," he said.
"In consequence, he cannot answer the question which everyone would like to know: Was this an accident or was it sabotage?"
Mr Barnett's office later said Mr Debus' comments had been noted.
"We understand that the incident requires investigation and that information will be collected in coming days," the statement read.
Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said the arrival of the vessel in Australian territory – the third in a fortnight and the sixth this year – may signal the beginning of an increasing wave of people smuggling flowing from the Rudd Government's softer stance.
"There is no doubt the impression has been created that we are more accommodating, or taking a less hard line on people smuggling than we have in the past," Mr Turnbull said.
"There has been a significant increase in people smuggling. It puts lives at risk, the lives of those that venture in the boats and, as we can see, the lives of Australian servicemen and servicewomen."
The Rudd Government scrapped the Howard Government's "Pacific Solution" and restored legal rights to asylum seekers. Temporary protection visas were also abolished in favour of permanent visas where justified.
Yesterday's incident comes eight years after the notorious "children overboard affair" when the Howard Government claimed incorrectly that asylum seekers had thrown their children in the water in a bid to pressure Australian authorities to take them in rather than be turned away.
Aware of the parallels, the Rudd Government was assuring the public last night that all factual information, including photos and video of the incident taken by the defence forces, would be released immediately.
The vessel, which sank shortly after the blast, was drifting under the control of Australian border protection authorities, who had intercepted it the previous day.
As many as four Australian Defence Force personnel were on board at the time preparing to transport the asylum seekers to Christmas Island for processing. While no Australians are among the dead or missing, it is understood Defence personnel suffered some injuries in the blast and fire.
The blast occurred in open water about 600km north of Broome and 645km west of Darwin, near Ashmore Reef.
The vessel, described as a small wooden boat, originally held 49 males of varying ages, including some minors. All are believed to be Afghanis fleeing that war-torn country.
Two navy patrol vessels, HMAS Childers and HMAS Albany, are at the scene of the tragedy, searching for the missing people.
While the Federal Government, through Mr Debus, and Border Protection Command chief Rear Admiral Allan du Toit, refused to be drawn on key aspects of the incident, citing a lack of reliable information, Mr Barnett was not so reluctant.
"It is understood that two particular persons on the boat spread petrol and that ignited, causing an explosion," he said.
He said it was unclear whether asylum seekers actually started the fire or if the petrol just ignited.
Mr Debus acknowledged the sabotage theory only as a possibility.
"(It is) a possibility that is what occurred but we are not in a position to finally confirm (whether) that is so or not. There will, of course, be a coronial inquiry," he said in Canberra.
Rear Admiral du Toit described conditions at sea as "dead flat" at the time.
Opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone attributed the loss of life directly to the policy change.
"You can't slash funds, you can't take your eye off the ball, you can't announce a softer policy and then expect people not to lose their lives through people-smuggling efforts which, of course, is all about cash, nothing to do with getting an individual, a young person, a family, safely to Australia," she said.
Mr Debus said Dr Stone should withdraw the comments.
----------------------
Seems thes assylum seeks have come to a new high in low. Goes to show you what level these queue jumpers will go to get into Australia.
Time will tell, and we'll see how our 'leftie' Kev deals with this. After all he has lifted our harsh methods when dealing with these dregs when he was elected. You reap what you sew Kev.
Time will tell how this will go.
All the best to the RAN personnel who were injured in this stupid act.
OWDU
