By Tony Wright
- Labor calls for 10,000 extra refugees
- Plan pits world's neediest against each other, advocates say
- Fact and fiction with Abbott's refugee intake numbers
- Explainer: Difference between migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
- Analysis: Crunch time on refugee policy
Some days seem too easy for sideline commentators.
It was Tony Abbott's second anniversary as Prime Minister, it would have been Bill Shorten's identical anniversary as Opposition Leader if the Labor Party hadn't diddled around for two months figuring out whether he or Anthony Albanese should get the job ... and it was Threatened Species Day.
That Monday also heralded another Newspoll essentially saying what everyone has known for a very long time — that the government would be slaughtered in an actual poll, but that voters aren't at all keen to find themselves choosing between Mr Abbott and Mr Shorten — simply gave the day extra piquancy.
In truth, Monday turned out to be not an easy day at all.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Affairs minister Julie Bishop during question time on Monday.Credit: Andrew Meares
With the world reeling at the tide of refugees sweeping across Europe, neither the Prime Minister nor the Opposition Leader — plus their colleagues and even sideline commentators — could spare time for flippancy about threatened species.
Mr Abbott had already declared Australia would take more Syrian refugees, with the rider, at least initially, that this wouldn't amount to an increase in overall numbers under the nation's existing humanitarian intake.
He devoted several minutes at the start of question time, however, to making clear the government was still agonising over what assistance it might give.
"The women and children in camps, in particular, the women and children from persecuted minorities in camps, they deserve a compassionate response from Australia, and that is exactly what they will get from this government."
Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Liberal MPs Sarah Henderson meet a wallaroo for Threatened Species Day at Parliament House on Monday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
He had sent the Immigration Minister to Geneva and was awaiting a report on what might be required from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees before reaching a final decision.
"Any response we do finalise in the next 24 or 48 hours may in fact need to be further revised as this particular crisis unfolds, but it is my intention to listen to the minister, to see what advice he has received from the people on the spot," he said.
Greens senator Larissa Waters meets a dingo pup for Threatened Species Day at Parliament House.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Shorten responded seriously, too, urging the government to put aside the idea that it couldn't expand its current humanitarian quota, and to accept an extra 10,000 refugees right away.
He wanted an urgent "bipartisan" meeting that would include not only the government and the opposition, but state, community and religious leaders to discuss what Australia could do.
Labor immigration spokesman Richard Marles, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek on Monday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
With Abbott ministers chipping in with their own views — including a re-run of the temporary asylum granted to Kosovars in the worst days of the Balkan wars — there was a clear sense that both government and opposition were genuinely seeking a worthy formula without acrimony.
It looked, indeed, as if Australia's two political leaders were behaving, after two years of false starts, like political leaders.
If this were to keep up, they might not remain at the top of the endangered species list after all.