Customs clear in boat tragedy at Christmas Island Steve Lewis National political correspondent From: The Daily Telegraph January 25, 2011
Replay: Asylum boat tragedy
THE Christmas Island boat tragedy that killed up to 40 asylum seekers was unavoidable, the Gillard Government said yesterday, as it unveiled plans to bolster surveillance to ensure the disaster is not repeated.
Customs has cleared itself of any wrongdoing in the deaths, with an internal review determining it had no "firm" evidence the rickety vessel was sailing to Christmas Island from Indonesia. Instead, it blamed "treacherous" weather which had whipped up huge seas and prevented two other vessels, carrying asylum seekers, from docking at the detention centre.

But survivors of the December 15 accident have accused the Government of a cover-up.

Jamal Daoud, from the Social Justice Network, said about 40 survivors were on a hunger strike on Christmas Island after being briefed on the report.

"We think it is a cover-up. Survivors are angry," he said.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related CoverageGallery: Boat crash
Crew 'upset' over asylum boat tragedy Perth Now, 4 hours ago
Mock vessels to test asylum-seeker radar The Australian, 8 hours ago
Customs clear of blame as crew charged The Daily Telegraph, 19 hours ago
'No intelligence' to avert boat disaster Adelaide Now, 1 day ago
No action by Gillard on Christmas Island The Australian, 6 days ago
.End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.


With the Government desperate to avoid any public fallout, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced plans to beef-up surveillance on the island while also unveiling plans for a full parliamentary inquiry.

Radar systems will be trialled on Christmas Island while new vessels operated by Australian Federal Police and the Department of Regional Australia will bolster border protection.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said charges were close to being laid against peoplesmugglers responsible for the tragedy. He said an Australian operation - involving "substantial operators" - was likely to be caught in the police net.

"There is certainly a high likelihood of prosecutions happening and happening relatively quickly in this matter," he said.

The Coalition has called on the Government to overhaul its policies to avoid a repeat of the incident that saw 42 asylum seekers plucked from the ocean.

"It wasn't Customs that was responsible for what happened on that day - it was peoplesmugglers," Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said yesterday.

Mr McClelland laid the blame for the tragedy on "the treacherous" conditions with 4m waves, 40 knot winds and rain reducing visibility to 150m.

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its amazing isnt it.. they are all allowed to investigate themselves.really puts your mind at rest.

Well if Climate Change was behind it, the Hard Right could deny the science and come up with some stupid statement like Stop The Boats.

Yet what is connected with this tragedy is Australia's Troops In Afghanistan, a push factor.
It is about time they where brought home to help with the clean up from the floods and the tax money we waste on fighting an un-winnable could be used instead of a levy.

I have read the report and the dead hand of sarah palin gets a mention.

Quote:

Yet what is connected with this tragedy is Australia's Troops In Afghanistan, a push factor.

How do you work that out Greens???....None of the people on the boat were Afghani...

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 8:38pm:

Quote: Yet what is connected with this tragedy is Australia's Troops In Afghanistan, a push factor. How do you work that out Greens???....None of the people on the boat were Afghani...

Yet Afghans are helping to drive the boat trafficers because of the civil war happening in their home land. End the war, end one of the push factors.

Be nice to get a break before the Human Caused Climate Change Refugees start migrating.

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 25^th, 2011 at 8:38pm:

Quote: Yet what is connected with this tragedy is Australia's Troops In Afghanistan, a push factor. How do you work that out Greens???....None of the people on the boat were Afghani...

you know very well gizmo that doesnt bother woody.

they are now talking 40 people dead..I still cant get that little boys body out of my head.. so cruel..I dont in all honesty understand how any one person can be held responsible for this dreadful happening..however I do think its bizarre that they investigate themselves and come up with a not guilty verdict and expect us all to say "oh OK".. I think its odd to be honest I think we are being treated like dills.

of course woody cant comprehend that if the boats were stopped.. then this would never happen again. that doesnt make sense to the greens too logical..lol

Be nice to get a break, says woody, by which I take him to mean he is fed up with the never ending procession of illegals.
Good to have you on side with the rational people for a change woody.

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 27^th, 2011 at 1:52pm:

Be nice to get a break, says woody, by which I take him to mean he is fed up with the never ending procession of illegals.

Shows your line of thinking is incorrect.

Illegals is a hard right term for legal refugees.

And I am not Hard Right and I have no issue against assisting refugees.

____ wrote on Jan 27^th, 2011 at 2:59pm:

bogarde73 wrote on Jan 27th, 2011 at 1:52pm: Be nice to get a break, says woody, by which I take him to mean he is fed up with the never ending procession of illegals. Shows your line of thinking is incorrect. Illegals is a hard right term for legal refugees. And I am not Hard Right and I have no issue against assisting refugees.

Is that why the Greens think welfare for the disabled is "UNSUSTAINABLE'?  so they can bring in more refo's and immigrants to replace Aussies deemed "Unfit"? 8-)

Prevailing wrote on Jan 27^th, 2011 at 3:43pm:

____ wrote on Jan 27th, 2011 at 2:59pm: bogarde73 wrote on Jan 27th, 2011 at 1:52pm: Be nice to get a break, says woody, by which I take him to mean he is fed up with the never ending procession of illegals. Shows your line of thinking is incorrect. Illegals is a hard right term for legal refugees. And I am not Hard Right and I have no issue against assisting refugees. Is that why the Greens think welfare for the disabled is "UNSUSTAINABLE'?  so they can bring in more refo's and immigrants to replace Aussies deemed "Unfit"? 8-)

Used babelfish to translate, yet it doesn't translate your language.

Other option would be to post a link to back up claims.




http://greens.org.au/policies