‘Ardern to blame’ for new boats
A fresh round of intelligence leaks from across the ditch have claimed new boat arrivals of asylum seekers, and lay the blame at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s feet.
Australian authorities reportedly turned around four new boats just before Christmas, and intelligence sources have said Ardern’s criticisms of Australia’s refugee policy are the likely cause.
The Queensland-based Courier Mail has reported 164 asylum seekers were halted and reversed, but not before telling officials working for ‘‘Operation Sovereign Borders’’ that they were bound for New Zealand.
The leak appears to have gone to several Australian news publications and questions over whether the sting was politically motivated remain, with suggestions the leak might reflect an Australian Government frustrated with Ardern’s position on asylum seekers.
The Australian Government has pressured Ardern to step down from a tougher stance on its treatment of asylum seekers. It’s currently working through a plan to allow 1500 to be accepted into the United States.
Ardern has retained an offer to take up to 150 asylum seekers on Manus Island off Australia’s hands. It was an offer first extended by former prime minister John Key, and has remained on the table although never accepted by Australia.
That government has long maintained such an arrangement would only encourage more people smugglers to lure asylum seekers into boats to make the treacherous journey to either country, it is claimed.
No boat has ever reached New Zealand, and the Australian Government has long expressed frustrations that it believed that was largely due to Sovereign Borders turning boats around before they got here, at considerable cost to the Australian taxpayer.
The cost of the operation reached AU$4 billion ($4.3b) in 2017, which included just over $1b to detain 1140 refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru and a further $1b on border enforcement.
While diplomatic shots between the two governments over the issue reached a peak late last year, discussion over the invitation has remained relatively quiet over the past few months. The Government has declined to comment on Australian intelligence, but is understood to be seeking advice.
National Party spokesman for foreign affairs Gerry Brownlee said the intelligence was ‘‘proof’’ Ardern ‘‘should take more care with her remarks’’.
No dates or further details on the apparent arrivals of the boats into Australian territory have been released. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull raised the issue to media last week.
He said New Zealand had been a destination for people smugglers, and new ‘‘chatter’’ picked up from crime syndicates in other countries had pointed to New Zealand being back on the radar of some smugglers.