2CC Talking Canberra, Drive with Jorian Gardner
Tuesday, 03 January 2012
Subjects: Asylum seeker boats; Fiji
E&OE…
JORIAN GARDNER Now this is concerning of course. The Navy has intercepted another two asylum seeker boats off the Western Australian coast with 51 passengers on board. I wonder, before we get into Fiji, whether Julie Bishop, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Foreign Affairs, has a comment on that. Welcome to the program Julie.JULIE BISHOP Good afternoon, thanks for having me on.
JORIAN GARDNER No worries. Before we look at Fiji, the Navy has intercepted another two asylum seeker boats off the Western Australian coast. 51 passengers on board and the group is being taken to the Christmas Island detention centre for health and security checks. Do you think the Australian public is getting a bit sick of this debate and how ongoing it is?
JULIE BISHOP Well since Labor recklessly, and I say negligently, weakened the Coalition’s border protection laws back in 2008 there have been more than 270 boats carrying over 14,500 people who are making that dangerous journey to Australia. The people smugglers are back in business.
Now the Coalition has informed the Government the measures that we will support to stop the boats, that is offshore processing on Nauru or Manus Island with appropriate human rights protections, temporary protection visas and the policy of turning back the boats where it is safe to do so. And the Government can implement these measures immediately. They have been proven to work in the past. It would reinstate the Coalition’s policies from 10 years ago that worked in stopping the flow of boats.
JORIAN GARDNER But didn’t – haven’t you guys, the Opposition and the Government, haven’t you guys been having a chat about how you can best, maybe, solve this problem? And I thought the Government was offering to reopen Nauru but only the provision that you would accept the Malaysia deal of course?
JULIE BISHOP There have been discussions and they are ongoing. The problem is Julia Gillard’s Malaysia people swap deal was found to be illegal by the High Court essentially as it abolished all the human rights protections in the Migration Act for offshore processing. But we have indicated to the Government what we would be prepared to accept and if the Government wants additional policies beyond those that the Coalition has in place then it should be seeking support of its coalition partner in Government, the Greens. As you know Labor has a formal power sharing agreement with the Greens and that is where they should be looking for support for their policies.
JORIAN GARDNER She should just ask Deputy Prime Minister Bob Brown!
JULIE BISHOP [laughs] Well that is one way of putting it. Bob Brown does seem to be very much in power. Labor might be in Government but Bob Brown certainly seems to be in power.
So we’ve indicated to the Government what we are prepared to support. We believe that offshore processing should occur in countries where there are human rights protections and that would include countries that are signatories to the United Nations Convention on Refugees, and Nauru and Manus Island in PNG both come under that umbrella.
JORIAN GARDNER Let’s move on. The Australian Government has welcomed Fiji’s decision to lift its draconian emergency laws but says the military regime must do a lot more to restore democracy. They sound like soft words to me because this Commodore who calls himself the Prime Minister is saying they want elections in 2014, is that good enough? I mean this has been going on for quite some time hasn’t it? This is a military dictatorship we are talking about.
JULIE BISHOP That’s right. We should never condone what happened in 2006, or previously, with a military coup. This is not the first time that Commodore Bainimarama has promised to lift the so-called emergency laws, but this announcement of an end to martial law is a welcome development in Fiji’s very troubled history and I hope it is a step towards returning Fiji to civilian law and democracy.
We don’t yet know what will replace the emergency regulations. There are concerns for people who were prosecuted while martial law has been in force. It would be an act of good faith if Commodore Bainimarama allowed these people access to civilian courts because we need to see a return of an independent judiciary and the rule of law as well as an election in 2014.
Now you are absolutely right, 2014 is eight years since the military coup, however we are now in 2012. Commodore Bainimarama has promised a new constitution, because of course the old one was suspended, he promised a new constitution and public consultation on that constitution so it will probably take that long to get an election organised. I would like to see the Australian Government provide support in the form of say the Australian Electoral Commission or legal advice or support so that an election is held in 2014 and hopefully an election that is free and fair.
JORIAN GARDNER Look I hate to, I don’t want to be a cynic, but I just don’t believe the guy and it is just very hard to believe when he said he would do things before and he hasn’t. And now he is sort of saying this, yep its coming in another couple of years. Whether we get an announcement at the end of the year, or at the beginning of the next, saying it is going to take another 18 months, I am just going to be the boss for a little while longer. I don’t understand why the Australian Government, Kevin Rudd mainly, hasn’t been jumping up and down and demanding more action on this for some time.
JULIE BISHOP Well actions do speak louder than words and we will have to see what happens on the 7th January, for example. That is when Commodore Bainimarama says he is going to lift these emergency laws and put an end to martial law. So we will be able to see it on a week by week basis to see what progress is being made.
There is absolutely no doubt that we need to see a return to democracy and civilian law in Fiji. Australia has put in place sanctions. We imposed them, in Coalition when we were in Government back in 2006, and the Rudd-now-Gillard Government has maintained those sanctions. But it doesn’t seem to have had any impact. Fiji has been expelled from the Commonwealth and also from the Pacific Islands Forum and it seems to be thumbing its nose.
Now Japan and the United States, for example, have suggested that the Australian Government should try and re-engage with Fiji in order to encourage elections in 2014 and I think that is an important benchmark. We want to see an election as soon as possible. It is already 2012, let’s hold Commodore Bainimarama to an election in 2014 and do what we can to make sure that can occur.
JORIAN GARDNER I agree but I am seeing some comments now saying, its been pointed out, that the country’s media and essential services decrees which impose strict limits on press and union freedom will remain in place though.
JULIE BISHOP Well that is the whole point. He said that he will lift the emergency laws but since 2009 other quite draconian laws have been put in place…
JORIAN GARDNER That’s right.
JULIE BISHOP …especially for the media and the like. So we don’t know what is going to replace these emergency regulations and what is going to happen to some of the other laws that have been put in place. What we must seek to do is ensure the Fijian people who have already suffered enough don’t have to put up with this too much longer and that they should be given the opportunity to vote in a free and fair election.
JORIAN GARDNER Well I expect that we will be talking about this again after the next election when you will be the Foreign Minister.
JULIE BISHOP That’s the plan.
JORIAN GARDNER That’s the plan at the moment.
JULIE BISHOP That’s definitely the plan!
JORIAN GARDNER I hope you have a great year. Did Santa bring you something nice by the way Julie?
JULIE BISHOP Yes, Santa brought me lots of books. So I am in the process of wading through some fiction and non-fiction books, so it has been terrific….
JORIAN GARDNER I thought he might have bought you some fashion accessories.
JULIE BISHOP [laughs] Oh I don’t know if Santa has got my taste in fashion.
JORIAN GARDNER [laughs] Julie, thanks so much for joining us on the program today.
JULIE BISHOP My pleasure. You have a great 2012.
JORIAN GARDNER That you so much. That is Julie Bishop, who is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. As I point out if the polls are right she will be the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister after the next election.
