Frydenberg defends Christmas Island plan as PM remains tight-lipped on election date
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has dismissed suggestions reopening Christmas Island was an alarmist and expensive mistake as the PM remains tight-lipped on the federal election date.
Federal Election
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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has defended spending $185 million reopening an immigration detention centre on Christmas Island only to close it again, arguing it is a deterrent to anyone trying to “game the system”.
The federal government reopened the mothballed facility after legislation passed against its will, making it easier for sick refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to seek medical transfers.
The government warned the laws would open the floodgates to hundreds of people. However, just one person has been evacuated since the laws took effect six weeks ago.
The individual bypassed Christmas Island and came straight to Australia, because the level of medical care they needed was only available on the mainland.
Mr Frydenberg dismissed suggestions reopening Christmas Island was an alarmist and expensive mistake.
“What we’ve done by reopening Christmas Island is send a deterrent to people who would try to game the system,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program.
“Whether it’s in our turn backs, whether it’s in offshore processing or whether it’s with Christmas Island, we are absolutely focused on ensuring there is no repeat of Labor’s disastrous border protection policies.”
Mr Frydenberg was pressed on whether the government’s rhetoric had been exposed by the fact only one person had been transferred.
“You could see it the other way around, which is, the so-called emergency that everyone was talking about hasn’t actually eventuated,” he said. The government intends to repeal the medical evacuation laws and close Christmas Island if it wins the upcoming election.
However, it is not clear whether the Senate would support unwinding the laws, which give doctors a greater say in granting medical transfers. “Our policy is to close it in July that’s a publicly stated position and we’ll do so given the first opportunity,” Mr Frydenberg said.
The government has sent 140 contractors and 14 medical staff to Christmas Island, despite there being no detainees to look after.
NO ELECTION DATE YET
Meanwhile Scott Morrison has confirmed Australians will not be going to the polls until at least May 18, as he buys himself time to sell his economic and national security messages.
Mr Morrison has decided against visiting Government House today, ruling out May 11 as the election date.
“All these guys (reporters) think I’m going to Canberra in the morning,” Mr Morrison told onlookers at the first grade rugby union season opener in his Sydney seat of Cook on Saturday.
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Voters will instead continue to be bombarded with government advertising, with 15 campaigns approved by an independent board since January at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of $47 million.
The delay will also allow candidates to roll out taxpayer-funded material promoting tax cuts, road and rail spending and a one-off payment covering power bills of pensioners and welfare recipients.
WHAT’S THE RUSH?
Mr Morrison said he will visit Governor-General Peter Cosgrove in April and the election will take place in May. Likely date options are May 18 or May 25.
Labor savaged the delay amid suggestion the prime minister is delaying the poll to navigate the upcoming Easter and Anzac Day public holidays.
Opposition frontbencher Anthony Albanese rubbished the idea. “If you believe that I’ve got a bridge I can sell you,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.
Labor believes the election has been pushed back so the cash-strapped coalition parties can exploit taxpayer-funded advertising.
Mr Albanese estimates the government is spending more than $600,000 per day on partisan ads.
“This is a farce,” he said.
Bill Shorten said Labor is ready for whenever Mr Morrison calls the election. The Labor leader told reporters in Launceston the government had given up governing.
“If the prime minister wants to play games about when he calls the election, I’m just not interested,” the opposition leader said.
But Josh Frydenberg doesn’t understand the rush to an election. “There’s no haste; there’s no delay,” he told the ABC.
“We are confident in our budget plan and we are explaining that and unpacking that to the people of Australia.”
Earlier the treasurer said the election timing was up to the prime minister. “It will be made in due course. An election will soon be upon us, but the contest will be very clear,” he said.
POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE
On the downside for the coalition, the Senate is scheduled to continue with budget estimates this week — hearings that could potentially be damaging. Nationals members and conservative Liberals are hoping for a conclusion to the environmental assessment on the proposed Adani Carmichael mine in Queensland, which they can take to the election as a win for jobs and the economy.
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Despite the delay, Liberal strategists and staff have begun arriving at their campaign headquarters in Brisbane while Labor staffers are setting up their base in Parramatta in western Sydney.
Mr Morrison attended an NRL match on Saturday night which his team the Cronulla Sharks lost to the Parramatta Eels 12-24.
He’s expected to attend his local church on Sunday.
A Galaxy poll published by News Corp highlighted the issues of greatest concern to voters ahead of the election.
Cost of living is the biggest gripe across all demographics, with power bills the biggest household stress.
Health ranks second on the list of concerns, while climate change and the environment is a bigger concern among Baby Boomers than among Millennials.
An average of opinion polls puts Labor ahead of the coalition 53-47 on a two-party preferred basis, which would deliver Mr Shorten a comfortable majority.
Mr Shorten will promise almost $40 million towards childhood cancer support and research if Labor wins the next election. “Children and families who are battling this insidious disease deserve the best possible care and support,” he said.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Tony Abbott is reportedly facing “diabolical” internal polling in his Sydney seat of Warringah.
It’s been reported Mr Abbott is facing a 12 per cent swing which could sweep him out of the blue ribbon seat.
The Liberal National Party has also preselected marketing expert Angie Bell as its candidate for the safe Gold Coast seat of Moncrieff, being vacated by former minister Steve Ciobo.
Half the Senate is also up for re-election, with a number of crossbenchers expected to lose their seats while the major parties consolidate their numbers.
Originally published as Frydenberg defends Christmas Island plan as PM remains tight-lipped on election date
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