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| Abbott blames Rudd's policies for loss of life | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 3 2009, 06:04 AM (24 Views) | |
| Sayf Udeen Ismaeel | Nov 3 2009, 06:04 AM Post #1 |
Icon by meagan_chelsea @ LJ
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Tony Abbott blames Kevin Rudd's policies for loss of life TONY Abbott has moved to clarify comments regarding the sinking of a suspected asylum seeker boat, saying he does not blame Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for the tragedy. The Liberal frontbencher remains critical of the Rudd Government's border protection regime, saying it has led to a surge in asylum seekers heading for Australia. At least one person has died while another 11 remain missing, feared drowned, after a boat carrying 39 suspected asylum seekers sank 350 nautical miles northwest of the Cocos Islands yesterday. However, Mr Abbott said he was not alleging Mr Rudd was responsible for people drowning as a result of making the perilous journey by boat to Australia. "He's not responsible for bad weather, he's not responsible for the state of boats, he's not responsible for seamanship on the part of people in these boats,'' Mr Abbott said. Earlier, Mr Abbott said told Fairfax Radio that if "you look at this terrible tragedy that's unfolding in the Indian Ocean at the moment, and you've got to say this is a comprehensive failure and it's all the Prime Minister's fault''. "What's so moral about policies which encourage people to take to the sea in leaky boats and give us the kind of tragedy that seems to be unfolding now in the Indian Ocean,'' he said. But Mr Abbott later clarified the remarks, saying Mr Rudd was "not responsible for people drowning''. "He's responsible for policy and if the policy doesn't stop boats from coming, tragedies inevitably are likely to happen from time to time, but they're not the direct fault of the prime minister.'' Meanwhile, it appeared there were conflicting reports about the circumstances that led to the people being in the water. Chief of Defence Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said the boat capsized during the initial rescue, by Taiwanese trawler Kuamg and Bahamas-based gas carrier LNG Pioneer. "I understand when the first ship got there, this vessel was still intact," ACM Houston said. "Somehow or other during the process of interaction between the ship and trawler and also the stricken vessel, there's been a capsize and people ended up in the water." However, a spokesman for Mr O'Connor later said it was not thought that the boat had capsized, but sank as the LNG Pioneer arrived. Some survivors climbed on to rafts thrown from FV Kuamg, the first ship to respond to an appeal from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority after it got a distress signal from the stricken boat at 7.10am (AEDT) on Sunday - night-time at the scene - about 250 nautical miles northwest of the Cocos Islands. More were taken aboard the LNG Pioneer. Two were rescued after an RAAF P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft dropped them an inflatable raft, and three others seen clinging to timber and heading for the raft were also saved. The nearest navy ship was yesterday afternoon at least 24 hours away from the scene of the incident. Mr O'Connor said the trawler and carrier were staying at the scene while three Australian aircraft were searching the area in daylight hours. The survivors, he said, "are on two vessels; 18 on board the LNG Pioneer and nine on board the FV Kuamg. The FV Kuamg also has one deceased person on board. Both vessels remain on site providing assistance at the request of Australian authorities." Those rescued are all men aged from their 20s to their 40s, but the Government said it was unable to say whether they were asylum seekers. The tragedy occurred in international waters but within Australia's vast search and rescue zone which covers 53 million sq km, roughly a third of the world's ocean surface. The tragedy was a reminder of the SIEV-X (suspected illegal entry vessel No.10) which sank in international waters, drowning 353 asylum seekers, in 2001. As the operation unfolded yesterday Mr O'Connor said there was no evidence to support reports that another group of asylum seekers were being mistreated on the Australian Customs vessel the Oceanic Viking, which was stranded in Indonesia. The 78 ethnic Tamils were refusing to leave the ship. "I am advised passengers and personnel on the Oceanic Viking are indeed in a very good relationship," Mr O'Connor said. "If there are claims then we will of course seek to confirm or refute the claims. I have been advised there is no evidence that would suggest those claims are correct." http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,26297741-2,00.html |
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| Sayf Udeen Ismaeel | Nov 3 2009, 06:05 AM Post #2 |
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Icon by meagan_chelsea @ LJ
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...And then, he withdraws them... Abbott withdraws 'Rudd to blame' claim TONY Abbott has moved to clarify comments regarding the sinking of a suspected asylum-seeker boat, saying he does not blame Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for the tragedy. The Liberal frontbencher remains critical of the Rudd Government's border protection regime, saying it has led to a surge in asylum-seekers heading for Australia. At least one person has died while another 11 remain missing, feared drowned, after a boat carrying 39 suspected asylum-seekers sank 350 nautical miles north-west of the Cocos Islands on Sunday. "You look at this terrible tragedy that's unfolding in the Indian Ocean at the moment and you've got to say this is a comprehensive failure and it's all the Prime Minister's fault," Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio this morning. But Mr Abbott later clarified the remarks, saying Mr Rudd was "not responsible for people drowning". "He's not responsible for bad weather, he's not responsible for the state of boats, he's not responsible for seamanship on the part of people in these boats," Mr Abbott told AAP. "He's responsible for policy and if the policy doesn't stop boats from coming, tragedies inevitably are likely to happen from time to time, but they're not the direct fault of the Prime Minister." http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26298919-29277,00.html |
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| gingerwitch28 | Nov 3 2009, 07:28 AM Post #3 |
twenty-first century ennui
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Load of crap. On Q&A last Friday (it's on ABC's iView) he was more or less slinging the mud at Labor's asylum seeker policy. |
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| Sayf Udeen Ismaeel | Nov 3 2009, 10:11 AM Post #4 |
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Icon by meagan_chelsea @ LJ
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I saw that. From memory it was also mostly baseless. |
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7:39 PM Nov 24
