Greens stand by policy on boatpeople

MARK Latham lashes advocates of onshore processing

Asylum-seeker

THE Greens have defended their support for onshore processing of asylum-seekers after former Labor leader Mark Latham said it was a "moral outrage" responsible for the Indonesian boat tragedy.

After yesterday's news of the sinking of an asylum-seeker vessel off Java and the apparent loss of about 200 lives, Mr Latham said that onshore processing was a magnet for people-smugglers and he demanded that the Greens be "silenced".

But the Greens immigration spokeswoman, Sarah Hanson-Young, said she would not be dragged into "nastiness and politicking" as she stood by her party's view that the only humane way to deal with asylum-seekers was to process them in Australia. Pressed on whether her party accepted any responsibility for the tragedy, Senator Hanson-Young said: "Well, of course not. Tragedies happen. Accidents happen".

In the past year, debate on immigration policy has focused on whether processing asylum-seekers onshore encourages desperate people to risk their lives in rickety boats. Both major political parties support offshore processing, with Julia Gillard advocating processing in Malaysia, but the Coalition favouring Nauru. In the absence of an agreement, Labor is processing refugees onshore.

Yesterday, Mr Latham, who led Labor to defeat in the 2004 election, said there was nothing compassionate about encouraging people-smuggling. "The boats sinking and families dying is a direct consequence of the so-called compassionate people who support onshore processing," he told the Sky News's Australian Agenda. "I just still find it an amazing disconnect between the way in which the Greens and the Labor Left talk about this issue and the way in which reality deals with it.

"You can't be compassionate and you can't have a heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink."

Predicting Senator Hanson-Young would hold a press conference to cement her calls for onshore processing, Mr Latham said: "These people should be silenced. There should be a way of shutting them up. It's a moral outrage that they talk this way and they are allowed to pose in the public arena as compassionate people who are so-called left-wing".

In Adelaide, Senator Hanson-Young did hold a press conference to express the Greens' sorrow over the tragedy. "I am not going to say anything to Mark Latham," she said. "I am not interested in being dragged into the nastiness and politicking on a day like today.

"I have always believed that the issue to do with asylum-seekers and how we respond must be a humanitarian one. Tragedies like the one today absolutely confirm that."

Australia Defence Association director Neil James warned of disquiet in the Australian Defence Force over asylum-seekers. "The bottom line is the defence force will continue to do what the government directs, but there is an element of frustration," he said.

He added that the ADA had expressed concern at the physical and psychological impact of border protection operations on defence personnel, and called for a consistent and strategically viable asylum and refugee policy.

Additional reporting: Lauren Wilson, Christian Kerr