Labor MP slams Gillard's 'cruel' asylum policy

From TheAge

PREMIER John Brumby's special adviser on Asian business relations, Labor MP Hong Lim, has attacked Prime Minister Julia Gillard's asylum-seeker policy, branding it ''cruel, political expediency''.

In an email sent to all state Labor MPs on Wednesday, Mr Lim said he was troubled and pained by the issue of refugee policy.

''I am at a loss as to know what to say to people, let alone what to do,'' he wrote. ''I hang my head in shame as a leader of the Cambodian community, as a member of the ALP, as an MP, as an Australian … as a human being … to see political expediency being played out so cruelly and so unconscionably even among our Party!''

The Gillard policy, which is supported by Mr Brumby, seeks to establish a regional refugee processing centre.

Mr Lim, who has held the seat of Clayton since 1996, said the resettlement of Indo-Chinese people in the 1970s would not have been successful if the refugees had been ''cruelly treated'' like current asylum seekers.

In a sign of the political sensitivity around the election issue, Labor MPs were sent an email from caucus liaison officer Ray Thomas yesterday afternoon, suggesting a response for the media, should MPs be contacted about Mr Lim's email.

Under the subject line ''re: media inquiries to state MPs about asylum seekers'', the email said MPs may want to reply to questions as follows: ''This is a matter for the federal government. While I am a member of the Australian Labor Party, I am simply expressing my personal view.''

Mr Lim is Cambodian-Chinese, and he came to Australia as a student in 1970. Last night, he declined to comment further on the email, saying the issue was a federal matter. ''My comment was for internal ALP consumption and indeed a very personal view,'' he said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Brumby said Mr Lim's views were personal and expressed privately to his colleagues.

Mr Brumby has backed the Gillard policy, welcoming an open debate on asylum seekers, whatever side of the debate a person takes.

''The steps she [Ms Gillard] has taken represent an appropriate balance between protecting Australia's interests and also reflecting our obligations in terms of refugees and asylum seekers,'' the Premier said earlier this week.

Mr Lim's email also criticises the response to the federal government's policy from a variety of community groups, saying there ''had not been a whimper'' from Cambodian, Indo-Chinese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian or Hmong leaders.