Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian opposition critical of asylum seeker transfer to PNG

Posted at 01:41 on 22 November, 2012 UTC

Australia’s opposition leader Tony Abbott says the government’s first transfer of asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island is not good enough.

The government has transferred an initial 19 people, including four children, to Manus Island as part of a revived policy of processing asylum seekers abroad.

Mr Abbott says he supports offshore processing but says the government should not be boasting about such a small number.

He says it’s just not good enough, accusing the government of not having its heart in it.

Asked about Amnesty International’s damning assessment of the processing facilities on Nauru, Mr Abbott said asylum seekers could not expect four or or five-star treatment.