Centre shows Rudd dishonest on PNG: Abbott

[icyfroth]

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of dishonesty over his pledge to transfer all boat people to Papua New Guinea after it was revealed the government is planning a new detention facility in NSW.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/08/03/01/48/money-for-nsw-and-nt-detention-centres

Friday's economic update from the government showed $43.5 million allocated to providing 1000 detention places at a Singleton defence site in the Hunter Valley.

Mr Abbott said the detention plan "just exposes yet again Kevin Rudd's dishonesty", coming so soon after the prime minister announced his tough policy of transferring all boat arrivals to PNG.

Asylum seekers who arrive by boat have been told they have no chance of resettlement in Australia.

"Kevin Rudd said a fortnight ago every single person who arrives illegally by boat will go to PNG, and none of them will ever come to Australia," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne.

"Well hang on a minute - how can he be telling us that they're all going to go to PNG when at the same time the word slips out yesterday that they're building a new detention centre at Singleton."

[icyfroth]

try to concentrate, Donna

[donnashuggy]

I'm well versed, no concentration required.

[icyfroth]

good. stick with it.

[cherry*135]

Singleton detention centre 'a contingency plan', says local member Joel Fitzgibbon

Updated 7 hours 49 minutes ago

The Federal MP for the Hunter Valley says he was not told about plans to build an immigration detention centre in his electorate because the proposed centre is unlikely to be used.

The Federal Government's budget update has allocated $43 million to build facility with the capacity to house up to 1,000 asylum seekers at the Defence Force base in Singleton.

Local member and Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Joel Fitzgibbon, says the plans are merely an insurance policy.

"I'm advised it would be a contingency, invoked if we suddenly got a totally unexpected rush of people that would need to be accommodated somewhere on a temporary basis," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-03/joel-fitzgibbon-says-detention-centre-is-contingency-plan/4863...

[icyfroth]

'night all night owls

[***super_nova***]

How is it being "dishonest about PNG"?  There are people who will be arriving in Australia by other means than boats and may have to be detained.  Of-course, TA is a master of twisting everything, and in this moment is really clutching to straws.

[i-need-a-martini]

Is Tony Abbott really that stupid?

We have detention centres in this country to house illegal immigrants. These are the people that fly in, overstay their visas, get caught and are waiting to be deported.

Villawood Detention Centre in NSW is a good example. It is a detention centre for people that overstay their visas.

There are others dotted around the country.

Does he suggest we send these people to PNG? Or lock them up in a correctional facility

You've got to wonder where his brain is sometimes.

[polksaladallie]

---

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

Is Tony Abbott really that stupid?

We have detention centres in this country to house illegal immigrants. These are the people that fly in, overstay their visas, get caught and are waiting to be deported.

Villawood Detention Centre in NSW is a good example. It is a detention centre for people that overstay their visas.

There are others dotted around the country.

Does he suggest we send these people to PNG? Or lock them up in a correctional facility

You've got to wonder where his brain is sometimes.

---

He might be, but his remarks are directed to those who are.  Those who are the recipients of the fear and racism propaganda.

The general public would be surprised at the number of detention centres already holding illegal immigrants, most of whom arrived by plane.  A lot are being held in motels etc., it would be less costly for them to be held in a purpose built detention centre, Singleton or elsewhere.

[***super_nova***]

Not to mention that detention centres provide jobs for the community.  First there will be jobs building new facilities and upgrading the existing buildings, then there will be people required to work there.  Materials would be sourced locally.  Even if specialised staff comes from elsewhere they will live and shop in the town.  Whatever is allocated to get the facility running would go into the community.  Why is it that people do not seem to understand that if some project costs $X amount, it is not money sent to the moon? 

That is money that is paid back to people in one form or another.