Subject(s): Asylum seeker vessel in distress
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the situation with this latest boat that seems to have foundered off the coast, is it becoming critical that something just has to be done to break this nexus because more and more people are dying every week?
PM: Let me just say this about the announcement made by Minister Jason Clare this morning: firstly, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by, obviously, the news that a young child has lost its life in this incident.
I’m advised that the vessel in question had some 90-odd people on board. I’m further advised that 88 people, so far, have been recovered.
And I am advised that there is also a search and rescue operation underway.
I would, obviously, want to thank our Naval personnel and all of those who, themselves, put their lives at risk in undertaking these very complex operations at sea.
The loss of any child’s life, or of any person’s life, at sea, in these sorts of circumstances, is a genuine human tragedy.
This tragedy underlines the absolute importance for Australia to continue to adjust its policies to meet changing circumstances in the region and in the world when it comes to border security.
That is why our response in terms of elevating the work we do cooperatively with the Indonesians and others is now urgent.
That is why other measures in terms of the continued adjustment of our border protection policy are also critical.
We will continue to adjust our policies as appropriate – that’s the right thing to do.
And, regrettably, this tragic human event, this human tragedy, reinforces the absolute need to continue to adjust our policies.
JOURNALIST: Don’t you need something bigger than adjustments, though, to deal with what seems to be happening on a more and more regular basis?
PM: Right across our region there are events occurring which affect the flow of people and the actions of human smugglers, and, of people smugglers, and this is one part of that. And it’s a tragic part of it.
What we’re seeking to do is to work at multiple levels: working with the source countries; working with our police and intelligence agencies; working with transit countries; working on the high seas; working on visa arrangements; working on, also, the criteria which are used by decision makers in Australia on whether a person has bona fide refugee status or not.
This is an absolute priority for me, an absolute priority for the Government, to continue to adjust our policy to changing circumstances.
And I will have more to say about this. Thanks.