Boat deaths blamed on coalition
Tony Abbott's hardline asylum seeker policy is facing its first test after the first boat people died at sea since the coalition swept to power three weeks ago.
With the asylum seeker issue set to dominate Mr Abbott's two-day visit to Jakarta this week, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has rejected survivors' claims that Australian authorities delayed the rescue response by a day.
Twenty-one bodies, including seven children, have been recovered but about 30 people remain missing after their boat broke up just 50m from the west Java coast on Friday. So far 28 survivors have been found, with many recovering in hospital, but the rescue effort has been hampered by rough seas.
Survivors claimed they phoned the Federal Government for help on Thursday when the engine broke down and the boat started taking water, forcing them to turn around.
"We called the Australian Government for 24 hours. They were telling us 'we're coming, we're coming, we're coming', and they didn't come," one man told the ABC. "This (the tragedy) is because of the Australian Government. I want them to know that."
The boat's ill-fated voyage comes after the new Government made clear its determination to smash the people smuggling trade by appointing a military commander to head Operation Sovereign Borders, promising to transfer all boat people to Nauru or Manus Island within 48 hours and clamping down on the release of information about asylum seeker movements.
News of the tragedy forced Mr Morrison to break his self- imposed media blackout instead of waiting for his weekly briefing today. He said first contact from the boat was received on Friday morning with reports placing the boat about 46km off the Indonesian coast, inside the Indonesian search and rescue zone.
Indonesia's search and rescue agency BASARNAS and nearby ships were alerted to the distressed boat and a Border Protection Command aircraft and a merchant vessel failed to find it.
"The Government completely rejects allegations of a 26-hour delay in response to this tragic incident by Australian agencies," Mr Morrison said.
"Suggestions Australian authorities did not respond to this incident appropriately are absolutely and totally wrong."
Mr Abbott will leave today for his first overseas visit as Prime Minister, flying to Jakarta to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The PM faces pressure over his promise to turn back people- smuggling boats when safe to do so, after many Indonesian officials warned it would breach Indonesia's sovereignty.
Indonesian officials have discussed tit-for-tat action against the Government should it persist with the policy.
The West Australian understands some have advocated reversing a recent decision to demand Iranians get a visa before they travel to Indonesia - a move that could suck big numbers of new asylum seekers into the region.
