Subjects: illegal immigrants.
E&OE................................
MUNRO:
Prime Minister thanks for your time. The captain of the freighter has just told us that he and the ship are like a ping-pong ball.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I understand that and this is a very difficult situation for everybody but our position is, and it's based on our understanding of international law, is that these people were taken on board the Norwegian vessel in an Indonesian search and rescue area. The ship's master, the captain you've just heard had set sail for an Indonesian port because that's where the people came from. And as a result of duress applied to him apparently by some of the people that had been rescued that destination was aborted and then the intention was formed because of what he was asked to do, to come to Australia. Now in those circumstances we are not obliged by international law to accept the vessel, we've communicated that to both the Indonesian government and the Norwegian government. Our view under international law is that that people should be returned to Indonesia.
MUNRO:
What about future boat people Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, can we just deal with one thing at a time, because this is one of the most difficult issues that this country has faced in recent years. On the one hand, we are a humane people, and others know that and they sometimes as I said today, try and intimidate us with our own decency. On the other hand, we cannot surrender our right as a sovereign country our right to control our borders and we cannot have a situation where people can come to this country when they choose. We have an absolute right and it gets very difficult because every situation has its 450 souls, every situation has stories of hunger strikes, every situation has the threat of people doing self damage and jumping overboard and even suggestions of throwing children overboard. All of those things are talked about in a situation like this, but on the other hand, I have to worry and my colleagues have to worry about a situation where we appear to be losing control of the flow of people coming into this country. Now , we have decided in relation to this particular vessel to take a stand.
MUNRO:
Are you prepared to stick this out no matter what?. pregnant women..
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, as far as. can we just inject the other side into that? A doctor from the Royal Flying Doctor Service was in radio contact with the vessel either this morning or yesterday afternoon and ascertained, for example, that four of the illnesses were not as represented. One of them was completely feigned. The other three were very mild. We are in contact with the ship's master, we will have, I expect by early tomorrow afternoon a capacity to land a doctor and some medics on the vessel.
MUNRO:
And lifeboats?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we're not at this. I mean, look, can we just deal with one thing at a time? And because everything I say is taken down and can have an impact on how the ultimate situation plays out. Now, we will provide medical assistance, we will provide water, we'll provide food, but can I also say, this is a very large vessel, an extremely large vessel. You're shaking your head, you can't hear me?
MUNRO:
Yes I can. Yes I can.
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sorry.
MUNRO:
It is a large vessel, but also the captain tells us once the asylum seekers can no longer see Christmas Island there could be serious trouble on board.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's interesting, I heard that comment but we've also been told very firmly by the company that owns the vessel that they do not want any security provided at this stage to the captain, they've made that very clear to us. Now that indicates to me that they're not in imminent fear or concern about the situation, I mean that was a matter we raised in our communications with the ship's company, that's the company that owns the ship the Scandinavian Line. And we have been in very regular contact with them because we are sensitive about that. Mike this is, this is an horrendously difficult situation, but we have come to the conclusion as a Government that we just can't continue sending a signal to the rest of the world that this is a nation of easy destination. We are a generous people, but there are a lot of people waiting in the queue in pitiful conditions in refugee camps all around the world and we are happy to do more than our share in taking refugees but they should go through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the domestic law we have in Australia, which we've been trying to change now without success because of the obstinacy of the Senate, is more liberal than it is in many other parts of the world, and even more liberal than the law applied by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
MUNRO:
Was this a bit of a godsend for you in some respects.
PRIME MINISTER:
Mike, I would never use the word godsend in relation to a difficult situation like this. But, clearly the international law in relation to this supports what Australia has done but we hope that there is a signal sent, that we are reaching a breaking point as far as our capacity to take more people. We have over crowded detention centres and all we're asking is that our capacity to take refugees, and we're prepared to take a lot of refugees, that that be done in an orderly fashion and that people are assessed on their merits, there not be any queue jumping and we assert the absolute right as a country to control our borders and to decide who comes here. Now no country can ever give that up, but against that of course we balance our long record as a very humanitarian country stretching back 60-70 years of taking refugees from war torn Europe. I mean we are a very generous people but you've got to balance that against not being, having that generosity played upon. And there are many people including the Government, the members of the Government that feel that that situation has been reached.
MUNRO:
Ok, right Prime Minister we'll leave it there, thank you again for your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thankyou.