Subjects: Illegal immigrants; Ansett.
E&OE................................
PRIME MINISTER:
Well ladies and gentlemen late last night another vessel was spotted by Australian Coast Watch believed to be carrying illegal immigrants to Australia. That vessel was intercepted by HMAS Warramunga, it was bound for Ashmore Reef. Following warnings to turn around from the frigates' boat the vessel was subsequently boarded as a stateless vessel without a flag. The vessel was then identified as the Aceng, registered in Bali, and notwithstanding this warning the vessel continued towards Ashmore Islands.
Over the next six hours further boardings were undertaken and then the people on board became more aggressive and as a result of that the situation was stabilised by two..by the Warramunga and the Newcastle. They provided food and blankets to the people on board and subsequently people were taken off the Indonesian vessel and placed on HMAS Manoora which is the vessel carrying the other people who were taken off the Tampa and Manoora will continue on its voyage. It will be reprovisioned outside Australian territorial waters near Darwin.
There were no injuries done to anybody and the operation was carried out very efficiently. A request was made to the Indonesian authorities. The response was that there would not be permission given for Australians to board the vessel in Indonesian waters. Effectively therefore the Australian naval authorities were left with no alternative other than to act as they did.
Discussions are now underway regarding the future processing of these people and I would expect that an announcement in relation to that will be made in the next day or two by the relevant Ministers. At no stage did this latest vessel reach Australian territorial waters. It did enter the contiguous zone but it did not enter the territorial waters and as a result questions of application for asylum status do not arise.
I can also announce that it is the intention of the Government to legislate when Parliament resumes, the week after next, and with effect from 2.00 pm this afternoon eastern standard time, to excise both the Ashmore Islands and Christmas Island from the Australian migration zone. The effect of that will be that mere arrival at Christmas Island or on Ashmore Island, Ashmore Reef and Carter Island, which makes up the Ashmore Islands, will not be sufficient to found an application for status under the Migration Act. There will still of course be our obligations under the Refugee Convention and those obligations will continue to be fully met by Australia.
This issue remains a very challenging one for our country but we are determined to do everything we can within the proper limits of legality and decency to deter people coming illegally to Australia. I said previously that the action taken in relation to the Tampa, although sending an extremely valuable signal, could not guarantee that there would not be other boats attempting the voyage to Australia. This has clearly happened in relation to the vessel that I've mentioned but the people in question have been taken on board the Manoora and at no stage did the vessel with the people on board reach Australian territorial waters.
I would like to again record my thanks to the men and women of the Royal Australian Navy for the work that they've undertaken on behalf of the national interest on this particular occasion. It remains the determination of the Government to do everything we can, both legally and decently, to deter people coming illegally to this country.
Any questions?
JOURNALIST:
Does this mean that the Christmas Island and Ashmore Reef will no longer be part of Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
No it means that they won't be part of the Migration Zone of Australia. They're still Australian territories, we're not acting to shed their status as Territories. We certainly don't intend to do that. From a legal point of view I think they will essentially become like Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island has its own migration regime but Norfolk Island is a Territory of Australia. It has implications for the ease of people seeking asylum. It will mean in practice, as I understand it, they will need to touch the Australian mainland or other Australian Territories, which are part of the Australian Migration Zone, in order to found an application for asylum. And we will seek the authority of parliament with effect if Legislation is passed from two o'clock this afternoon, to exclude them and I hope that the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Democrats and others in the Senate will support this legislation. I mean it's a very reasonable and proper response. It's another element in the Government's attempts to set up a deterrence from people coming.
It is a difficult issue. We will continue to behave in a humane fashion as we have on this occasion. But I have to repeat again that Australia should not be regarded around the world as a country of easy destination or a soft touch and we will do everything we can, within the aw, and within the channels of proper humanitarian behaviour to deter people from coming here illegally.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we certainly picked it up. I imagine the answer to that question would have to be yes and clearly they were picked up at a time when it was possible to prevent them entering Australian territorial waters.
JOURNALIST:
(inaudible)
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look I'd have to check with the Navy but I think the answer to that is yes. The Warramunga was not there a week ago, no. The Warramunga was definitely not there a week ago.
JOURNALIST:
How many people were on board last night?
PRIME MINISTER:
Somewhere in the order of 200.
JOURNALIST:
Do you know what country of origin?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't. I don't know anything about that and they'll be spoken to by the IOM people who are on board the Manoora and we'll be able to get some more information but that's. they've only been on board for a few hours. They're quite safe there. Quite safe. And they'll be properly fed and cared for, as are the other people. But they did not reach Australian territorial waters and I can only repeat that in the medium to longer term we seek more effective arrangements with our neighbours and we'll continue at an officials level the discussions with Indonesia. They were quite good discussions involving Mr Downer, Mr Reith and Mr Ruddock. But they have not as yet produced the agreement that we have been seeking for some time. But we'll continue to persevere with Indonesia, but in the meantime we will continue to do everything we can within the law and behaving in a humane fashion to deter people from coming to Australia illegally.
JOURNALIST:
If the Senate blocks your legislation will you call an election on that issue?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look ,will you please stop talking about calling an election. I've said repeatedly that the election will be held at the end of the year and I'm going to the United States and we have a CHOGM meeting so let's just focus on the issue in front of us and the issue in front of us is doing everything we can to deter people from setting out in the first place. And if you exclude Ashmore Reef and Christmas Island from the Australian migration zone that will act as an additional deterrent. And I would ask the Labor Party and the Democrats to consider supporting our legislation, with effect from 2 o'clock this afternoon, when it comes before the Parliament. That will be a matter for them but I would ask them to consider supporting the legislation. It is hardly unreasonable or draconian or unfair.
JOURNALIST:
Where is the Manoora headed?
PRIME MINISTER:
It's resumed its voyage on the way to Port Moresby and it will be reprovisioned so I'm told outside Darwin, outside the Territorial waters abutting Darwin, it's going to be reprovisioned there.
JOURNALIST:
They'll go to Nauru?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it'll go to Port Moresby. The current intention is that it goes to Port Moresby and the people be trans-shipped, those that were taken off the Tampa that is, will be trans-shipped to Nauru and to New Zealand. Thank you.
JOURNALIST:
.have you changed your mind about a bailout for Ansett?
PRIME MINISTER:
Have I changed my mind about a bailout, from what earlier position? I said yesterday and I repeat it today, that I don't favour a direct equity investment in Ansett by the Government, or indeed, by the Government in any other company. I think it's a bad principle and that's been my position all along. I'm not aware that anybody else on behalf of the Government suggested otherwise.
JOURNALIST:
..underwriting perhaps a share offer?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well look there's been no proposal put to us in relation to that. I'm just saying that I don't favour a direct equity investment.
Thank you.
[ends]