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Opposition leader proposes initiatives for asylum seekers

Australia's opposition leader, Kim Beazley, has attacked the nation's Prime Minister , John Howard, while proposing diplomatic intiatives to deal with people smuggling.

Speaking in Sydney, Mr Beazley said a Labour government would appoint a senior diplomat to work full time on bilateral and regional solutions to the problem.

He says he would also provide targetted aid for countries of first asylum thus reducing illegal immigration to Australia.

The opposition leader said however that Australia could not fix the problem of people smuggling without fixing its relationship with Indonesia:

Foreign policy for an Australian Prime Minister cannot be a hobby based around a visit to Lords and a walk through the White House Rose garden every few years.

7/09/01 2:51:05 | ABC Radio Australia News

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