We were behind asylum seeker policy push: Greens

THE Greens have claimed some credit for the Gillard government's decision to take children out of detention, despite attempts to play down their role.

Greens Leader Bob Brown said today he had no doubt the Greens had helped bring about the change in policy which will see children and vulnerable families released into the community.

Senator Brown said he had led the debate on releasing children from detention during the Howard government when “children [were] behind barbed wire in the Australian desert”.

And he told ABC radio there had been a “very strong lead in the public debate by the Australian Greens. And I’ve absolutely no doubt that’s helped bring about this change of policy”.

The Australian also reported this morning that Greens Senator Hanson Young said the decision to remove children from immigration detention was “testament to the long public campaign by the Greens, key NGOs and concerned members of the community”.

Immigration Minister Mr Bowen said this morning the first time the government had thought about accepting the change in policy was yesterday when he presented it to cabinet.

“The first time that the government had considered this was yesterday. I made the submission to cabinet suggesting this change. Cabinet agreed to it,” he told ABC radio.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has also been at pains to stress that the change in policy was “not part of a deal with other parties”.

Mr Bowen also reiterated this morning that not all children would be taken out of detention, saying the Minister needed to retain “flexibility” over when to authorise the release of people from detention facilities.

And he argued that there was a “special need” to give priority to unaccompanied minors.

“Certainly by next June I want to get the very significant majority of what we call the unaccompanied minors out of detention. These are effectively the children who have come by themself. I think there is a special need to get them into a more community based facility and a substantial proportion of the families out.”

Official figures show there are 5056 people in immigration detention in Australia, including 742 children, while 106 asylum seeker boats have arrived in 2010 alone.

Mr Bowen said that the churches and charities which will provide community housing for the asylum seekers, were eager to assist the government.

“They’re up for it. They want to participate,” he said.

“And certainly it would be on the basis that there’s no extra cost on the churches and charities. We would fund the costs… We’ve found that the costs of doing this would be no greater certainly than keeping people in detention facilities. And of course, we wouldn’t have the capital expenses. So it’s a better outcome for the children and it’s a more efficient outcome for the taxpayer.”

source:http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/we-were-behind-asylum-seeker-policy-push-greens/story-fn59niix-1225940560272