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Paul Toohey- Herald Sun- July 23, 2010
EAST Timor has warned Australians not to believe claims by Julia Gillard that negotiations are under way to build an asylum seeker processing centre in Timor.
"If Australian people believe it, it's up to them," Deputy Prime Minister Mario Carrascalao said. "If it's true, they should tell us with whom they're negotiating.
"If they're talking to someone, it's not at the senior level of government."
Mr Carrascalao claimed Canberra already knew a processing centre would never be built in his country.
Pint-sized pollsters pick the pollies: Click here to watch the video
"It's not going to happen," he said. "A resolution against the processing centre was passed by the Parliament, and it was supported by all parties in the current Government. There is not one single minister in favour of that proposal."
The Deputy PM is a member of the Cabinet, and a member of East Timor's powerful council of ministers. He is also acting Foreign Minister.
"We are not even talking about it," he said. "It is no longer the concern of this Government. Everybody has said no."
The Gillard Government has a crisis on its hands, with the 81st boatload of asylum seekers intercepted off Ashmore Reef on Wednesday evening.
Australia is on track for a record year for asylum seekers, with 4063 people detained so far and no sign of a slowdown in the boats.
Ms Gillard, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith, Immigration Minister Chris Evans and Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor have given no detail on the proposal to the Australian public, or to neighbouring countries.
Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, which said this week it could not stop the boats because it could not police its borders, was briefed by Mr Smith last week on the East Timor plan. It said it could not comment on the plan because it was too hazy.
Ms Gillard has avoided questions about the current surge of asylum seekers to Australia, saying only that she was "relentlessly pursuing" a regional solution.
East Timor will go to an election possibly late next year, when it is widely thought the major opposition party, Fretilin, will defeat Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's alliance Government.
Fretilin, like all parties that form Mr Gusmao's ruling alliance, is strongly against the Gillard proposal. Fretilin leader Dr Mari Alkatiri said he would not need to consider closing the centre.
"I do not need to think about closing it because it will never be built," he said. "Julia Gillard is using this centre for her election campaign. It is not Fretilin which is against, it is the whole society in Timor Leste which is against it.
"It is not fair for Australia to do this. We are not against protection for refugees ... but we have our own problems to resolve. You are a big country, a wealthy country, you should accommodate it."
Foreign Minister Zacarias Albano da Costa was reported as saying yesterday there had been no formal talks and Australia had "not even presented a clear and complete picture" about the processing centre.
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EAST Timor has warned Australians not to believe claims by Julia Gillard that negotiations are under way to build an asylum seeker processing centre in Timor.
"If Australian people believe it, it's up to them," Deputy Prime Minister Mario Carrascalao said. "If it's true, they should tell us with whom they're negotiating.
"If they're talking to someone, it's not at the senior level of government."
Mr Carrascalao claimed Canberra already knew a processing centre would never be built in his country.
Pint-sized pollsters pick the pollies: Click here to watch the video
"It's not going to happen," he said. "A resolution against the processing centre was passed by the Parliament, and it was supported by all parties in the current Government. There is not one single minister in favour of that proposal."
The Deputy PM is a member of the Cabinet, and a member of East Timor's powerful council of ministers. He is also acting Foreign Minister.
"We are not even talking about it," he said. "It is no longer the concern of this Government. Everybody has said no."
The Gillard Government has a crisis on its hands, with the 81st boatload of asylum seekers intercepted off Ashmore Reef on Wednesday evening.
Australia is on track for a record year for asylum seekers, with 4063 people detained so far and no sign of a slowdown in the boats.
Ms Gillard, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith, Immigration Minister Chris Evans and Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor have given no detail on the proposal to the Australian public, or to neighbouring countries.
Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, which said this week it could not stop the boats because it could not police its borders, was briefed by Mr Smith last week on the East Timor plan. It said it could not comment on the plan because it was too hazy.
Ms Gillard has avoided questions about the current surge of asylum seekers to Australia, saying only that she was "relentlessly pursuing" a regional solution.
East Timor will go to an election possibly late next year, when it is widely thought the major opposition party, Fretilin, will defeat Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's alliance Government.
Fretilin, like all parties that form Mr Gusmao's ruling alliance, is strongly against the Gillard proposal. Fretilin leader Dr Mari Alkatiri said he would not need to consider closing the centre.
"I do not need to think about closing it because it will never be built," he said. "Julia Gillard is using this centre for her election campaign. It is not Fretilin which is against, it is the whole society in Timor Leste which is against it.
"It is not fair for Australia to do this. We are not against protection for refugees ... but we have our own problems to resolve. You are a big country, a wealthy country, you should accommodate it."
Foreign Minister Zacarias Albano da Costa was reported as saying yesterday there had been no formal talks and Australia had "not even presented a clear and complete picture" about the processing centre.
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