Transcript E&OE
10 November 2009
Interview with Tracy Grimshaw, Channel Nine, A Current Affair.
Subjects: Oceanic Viking and people smuggling issues.
TRACY GRIMSHAW: Well joining us now from Singapore is Foreign Stephen Smith. Minister, Barnaby Joyce says give these people an ultimatum: either get off the ship in Indonesia and be processed or the ship sails for Sri Lanka. What do you think about that plan?
STEPHEN SMITH: We're certainly not proposing to return them to Sri Lanka. They're effectively asylum seekers and if we returned them to Sri Lanka prior to assessment that would be in breach of our international legal obligations and almost certainly in breach of the Refugee Convention.
So we continue to work with the people on the boat and Indonesia to get them calmly and peacefully off the boat for processing there.
TRACY GRIMSHAW: Minister, realistically how long can you let this go on for and how many millions of taxpayers' dollars is it going to cost?
STEPHEN SMITH: Firstly I'm not proposing to put a timetable or a deadline on it. We continue to work diligently and methodically.
So far as cost is concerned, it's clearly the case for the current Government, as for previous Governments, that protecting our borders, managing our immigration program, dealing with boat people arrivals costs a lot money, costs millions of dollars. That's the case now as it was under the previous Government and Governments before that.
TRACY GRIMSHAW: Aren't you concerned though that the Australian people will run out of patience before you do? I mean this issue is playing against the Government in the opinion polls.
STEPHEN SMITH: We're not going to respond to what any particular opinion poll may or may not say. What we need to do, and what we are doing, is to do the right thing. And the right thing for Australia to do, the right thing for the Government to do, is to take a very strong stance so far as our border protection is concerned, to take a very strong stance in trying to crack down on the criminal syndicates who run the people smuggling operations.
TRACY GRIMSHAW: With all due respect I am hearing a lot of political speak here. There are rumours that the Government is confident of resolving this impasse by the end of this week. Is there any strength to that?
STEPHEN SMITH: I've seen those reports and frankly it's a matter for other people, journalists if they want to, to make this commentary. I'm not proposing to get into a day to day commentary. I'm not proposing to indicate one way or the other.
TRACY GRIMSHAW: Alright. Thanks very much, Minister. We'll leave it there.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks, Tracey. Thanks very much.
[END]
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