FED:Opposition missed 'good offer': Bowen

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2010
FED:Opposition missed 'good offer': Bowen

SYDNEY, Dec 19 AAP - The coalition has rejected a "good offer" by failing to join the
standing group on the Christmas Island boat accident, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen
says.

Thirty people, including 13 men, nine women, four children and four babies, perished
when their wooden boat struck rocks and broke apart in heavy seas early on Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said a standing group comprising government, opposition,
Greens and independent parliamentarians would be established to work with relevant agencies
to determine the best way for managing the response to the incident.

On Sunday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he would not be a part of the group.

"It's a matter for Mr Abbott as to how he chooses to get his briefings," Mr Bowen told
reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

"It was a good offer made in good faith, some people may be surprised that he has rejected
that offer but it is entirely a matter for him and I'm not critical of him for it."

Mr Bowen said Mr Abbott's suggestion to re-open the Nauru detention centre was not possible.

"The Liberal Party insists on the line that there is a detention centre ready and waiting
in Nauru - there is not," he said.

"The detention centre in Nauru closed, half of it is a school, other parts of it have
been dismantled and moved around the island, some of it is government offices."

He said Mr Abbott had gone back to the "stop the boats" slogan and Labor's policy would
continue to be breaking the people smuggler business through an international solution.

Although the search for survivors from Wednesday's crash has been called off, federal
police continue looking for bodies.

Mr Bowen said it has not been possible to determine how many people were aboard the
boat when it crashed.

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KEYWORD: BOAT CAPSIZE BOWEN

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