Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

The Sunday Age believes the subsidy package received preliminary support from cabinet's national security committee last week.

The move comes as Australian navy and customs vessels were placed on high alert to intercept another boat carrying asylum seekers that was expected to enter Australian waters this weekend.

Yesterday, six asylum seekers who were critically injured in last Thursday's blast aboard a vessel being towed by the navy off Ashmore Reef were flown to Royal Brisbane Hospital for surgery.

The blast is believed to have killed five asylum seekers and injured 31 others.

By last night, police investigators had interviewed all defence personnel who witnessed the explosion and said they would begin interviewing survivors.

Investigations by The Sunday Age have found that officials in Darwin believe the asylum seekers spread a mixture of petrol and diesel on the boat, thinking they were about to be towed back into international waters.

Defence sources said investigators believed the asylum seekers only planned to threaten to start a fire, but ignited the fuel by mistake, catching sailors and passengers off guard.

They also said that many of the illegals were involved in a previous failed attempt to reach Australia, and had been living on the Indonesian island of Lombok, subsidised by Canberra via the International Organisation for Migration.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans played down newspaper reports that federal police had warned senior ministers weeks ago that softer border protection laws introduced by the Rudd Government would attract more illegals.

Senator Evans said he had received no such warning.

The Opposition claims the Rudd Government's stance has triggered an increase in illegal arrivals, although numbers remain relatively low.

Senator Evans also would not confirm reports that another boatload of asylum seekers had been spotted off the north Australian coast and was making its way towards the mainland.

"I can't confirm anything other than that our force is on high alert for the possibility of a further arrival," he said. "As I have indicated throughout the week, we think the risk of further arrivals is high and all the forces, customs, the Defence Force, all the resources are deployed to intercept any possible arrival."

On Friday, Indonesia apprehended 70 potential asylum seekers to prevent them departing for Australia.

The plan to boost Indonesia's capacity to prevent asylum seekers reaching Australia is modelled on the program that transformed Indonesia's counter-terrorism police into world-class operatives.

The multimillion-dollar package is also expected to help Indonesia improve its overflowing immigration detention facilities.

A senior source said the Government was also "looking at options" for greater regional co-operation with Malaysia and Thailand to help deal with the flow of displaced people.

Forty-one boat blast survivors remain in three hospitals.

*23 in Royal Perth Hospital; all have been operated on and are in a stable condition.
*Seven in Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Four remain in critical condition and are in induced comas. Five have developed blood infections.
*11 in Royal Darwin Hospital; all are in a stable condition.
*Three released into the custody of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
*Three killed, two missing presumed dead.

Coroner Greg Cavanagh said he was releasing the provisional results because of the intense interest and speculation about the matter.

"Although the investigation is still underway, I have determined that these deaths will be the subject of a public inquest after I [have] received a completed investigation brief," he said in a statement released this morning.

"Because of the extraordinary interest in these deaths I have determined to release the results of the autopsies on the deceased.

"These have found the provisional cause of the deaths is drowning - subject to toxicology and other forensic pathology tests.

He said he would "politely decline" to be interviewed further on the matter. ....

........
Probe may take months

Meanwhile, Northern Territory police say the investigation into the cause of last week's boat explosion could take several months.

The ABC has been told that fuel was spread on the deck of the boat as a threatened act of sabotage by men aboard who were worried the boat might be turned back to Indonesia.

But it is understood the explosion was an accident and some senior Government sources have described it as a threat gone tragically wrong.

Acting Commander Bravos says the investigation will focus on the facts gathered through interviews and forensic testing.

"At this time, there is clothing being examined - clothing and other minor personal effects," he said.

He said the investigation could see the ruined boat pulled from the sea floor.

"At this stage ... the boat is in 250 metres of water," he said.

"However, if it is likely that it is essential for our investigation, that may be an option for us."

The Government has released vision of the boat burning in the minutes after the explosion but police will not release pictures of the explosion because of concern it could jeopardise the investigation.

Acting Commander Bravos says police hope to get an unprejudiced account of the incident from survivors when they interview them this week. .....

Anyone see John Clarke (being Malcolm) on last Thursday night's 7:30 Report? .... on being in opposition & the wildly successful tactic of opposing everything. Hilarious!

The trouble is that there is a large percentage of Australians who do respond to this type of immoral crud.