Nauru visit on cards for Australian opposition MP

[Stacey King]

ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA - Pacific Beat Updated July 26, 2010 07:13:09
Australia's federal opposition is moving to put Nauru back on the map as an immigration processing centre for Australia.
The opposition's shadow minister for immigration, Scott Morrison, is considering a visit to Nauru soon.
He says the opposition would take any early opportunity to talk with leaders of Nauru.

Presenter: Brendan Trembath
Speaker: Scott Morrison, Australia's shadow minister for immigration; Chris Evans, Australia's immigration minister
Listen:Windows Media

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Until 2008 asylum seekers bound for Australia were sent to the Pacific nation of Nauru for processing. The Coalition hopes to turn back the clock.

The shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison.

SCOTT MORRISON: The Coalition is serious about introducing offshore processing. Julia Gillard is not.

LOUISE YAXLEY: And are you serious to the extent that you have any, you've considered travelling to Nauru soon?

SCOTT MORRISON: The Coalition and I would take any early opportunity to have a discussion with the government of Nauru. at any early opportunity.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Scott Morrison speaking to the ABC's Louise Yaxley. Because an election's underway, the Federal Government is in so-called caretaker mode. It won't be having any major discussions with foreign governments. But Scott Morrison sees that as an opportunity.

SCOTT MORRISON: Well Nauru has made it clear for some time now that they are interested in talking to Australia about reopening the processing centre on Nauru and the Government has completely ignored them. They've dismissed that approach from Nauru and I think that's very disappointing, obviously the Coalition would be pleased to take an early opportunity to discuss these matters.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Federal Government wants to see a regional asylum-seeker processing centre in East Timor, but many members of its parliament have reservations.

The Immigration Minister Chris Evans dismisses the move to put Nauru back on the map.

CHRIS EVANS: For months, Mr Abbott and Mr Morrison have made the point that they can't negotiate anything from government, they've got no capacity to take any proposition forward. Obviously doing this in the middle of an election campaign has a whiff of an election stunt about it. The reality is this Government's committed to trying to get an offshore processing centre up and running, as part of a regional framework and we'll continue to drive that agenda forward. There's no quick fix but we're gonna make sure it happens.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: But at a time when some voters are concerned about increased immigration to Australia, isn't this a golden opportunity for the Opposition during the election campaign to have a quick trip across to Nauru to show a country that wants to host an immigration processing centre?

CHRIS EVANS: Well that's a question about whether you're interested in an election stunt or whether you're interested in a sustainable long-term solution to a difficult and complex issue. The Gillard Government is focused very much on a sustainable, long-term solution. We acknowledge there's no quick fix, we're working with our partners in the region and the UNHCR and others to try and make sure that we have a regional solution that everyone can support, that addresses the serious issue of people smugglers exploiting people and we think we can achieve that through the propositions that we've advanced about the regional framework. But a quick visit by an Opposition spokesman with a, with a sort of an idea that somehow by visiting in the middle of an election campaign, they're offering a solution, I think is obviously nonsense and more focused on the election than on real policy outcomes.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Because the campaign is on, the Government is in so-called caretaker mode, where major decisions are not made involving foreign affairs. Do you think the Opposition is abusing this process of government?

CHRIS EVANS: Well as I say it's got a whiff of being more of an election stunt than serious policy. As I understand it the Nauru government is also in a caretaker position as a result of their domestic political situation