From The Australian:
IT’S pretty obvious that the public would like to see our main party leaders come together to find a compromise solution to the refugee impasse following the recent tragedies at sea.
That is not happening because the opposition refuses to do so, despite increasing calls for compromise from sections of its backbench.
As a result of a failure to find a compromise solution to boat arrivals, in the final sitting week before the parliamentary recess the Liberal partyroom is starting to fracture. […]One well-placed Liberal source told The Australian that Abbott would rather see Labor continue to bleed politically with ongoing boat arrivals. If that means deaths at sea continue, he said, so be it. Perhaps Abbott thinks such tragedies reflect more badly on Labor than his own side because the government appears responsible for the mess courtesy of changing John Howard’s asylum-seekers policies in the first place.
Peter van Onsolen articulates what I have thought for a very long time. Tony Abbott is only concerned with his own short-term political interests; he appears completely disinterested in actually working with the Government to find a bipartisan solution to this serious problem. I have no doubt that playing politics is helping the Coalition in places like western Sydney, but to others I think it demonstrates why Mr Abbott is unfit to hold the office of Prime Minister. If there was any doubt that the Coalition is wholly disinterested in finding a solution to this problem, let this transcript of Scott Morrison appearing on ABC 7.30 last night dispel any views to the contrary:
LEIGH SALES: I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I’m trying to get to the bottom of exactly what the Coalition would accept here. I’m asking if the Government put up exactly what you want, would you support it?
SCOTT MORRISSON: Well, Leigh, that hasn’t happened. The Government has shown no indication at any occasion when I’ve addressed any of these matters in the past to address any element of them. Talking about Nauru does not change the problems with their legislation.
LEIGH SALES: But if you can’t even agree that you would support your own policy if they put it to you, then, you know, where are we?
The Opposition spokesman on these matters would not even confirm that they would work with the Government even if it did exactly what they have been asking for. Such reckless negativity is not in the national interest and it shows that the Coalition is not fit to govern while its attitude is so driven by politics with absolutely no deference given to good public policy or even saving lives of desperate people who are fleeing war zones and persecution.
