Rudd promises to release asylum boat explosion facts as they are confirmed

KEVIN Rudd today committed his ministers to revealing every fact about the fatal explosion aboard a boat carrying asylum seekers.

KEVIN Rudd today committed his ministers to revealing every fact about the fatal explosion yesterday aboard a boat carrying asylum seekers as they were confirmed.

In an unequivocal response to the clamour for details about events leading up to the explosion, the Prime Minister promised to release information as it came to light.

"As each fact is determined and established we will make that public," he said.

"But prior to that I do not intend to engage in speculation on what might or may not be the case.

Mr Rudd described people smugglers as "the scum of the earth" in his strongest response to the explosion, which has killed three people and injured dozens more.

But in his defence against Opposition claims that Australia is now seen as a soft touch for asylum seekers, Mr Rudd blamed global factors for the rise in numbers attempting to land in Australia.

In an extraordinary attack, Mr Rudd said people smugglers should "rot in jail", adding "and in my own view rot in hell".

"People smugglers are engaged in the role of people trade and they should rot in jail because they represent the scum of the earth," he said.

"We've seen this lowest form of human life at work in what we saw on the high seas yesterday."

He said “there are global factors at work here, global factors concerning security which are leading to additional push factors around the world".

"We have to respond to that with all our resources and we'll continue to calibrate our resources to threats as they emerge," Mr Rudd said.

The Prime Minister said tens of thousands of people were arriving as refugees on the shores of countries right around the world.

He defended national efforts to tackle people smuggling, saying the interception of the boat showed the system was working.

"Our staff, our naval staff, our Coastwatch staff, our aerial surveillance staff, our police, are doing a first class job, backed up by our intelligence officers as well, also in collaboration with partners across the region."

And he promised a continued tough line.

"We will continue to match the resources necessary to the challenges as they unfold.

"Our job, in partnership with our neighbours, is respond to the challenge here as it emerges."

Mr Rudd, like the Home Affairs and Immigration Ministers, refused to speculate on the causes of the explosion aboard the boat, calling it a "hypothetical question".

"It's important that we proceed in a calm, methodical fashion concerning the facts concerning this case," he said.

"But prior to that I do not intend to engage in speculation on what might or may not be the case.

"I don't believe that's responsible."