FED:Greens want facts on detained kids

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2010
FED:Greens want facts on detained kids

ADELAIDE, Aug 15 AAP - The Australian Greens are demanding to know how many children
will be held in "prison-like" detention centres following next weekend's federal election.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has committed
to reopening the Nauru processing facility but he has not revealed what that would cost
- in dollar or human terms.

"We really need to know directly from the leader of the opposition and the prime minister
how many children will be held in detention in their new government and under their administrations,"

Senator Hanson-Young told AAP on Sunday.

"As of today there's 700 children held in detention centres around Australia, including
Christmas Island, and we need to know both from Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard how many
children their Nauru and other offshore processing centre, how many children will be held
in these facilities.

"They need to be upfront with the Australian people that this is the type of regime
they're promoting and are being prepared to spend public dollars on."

Senator Hanson-Young said Australian had been condemned internationally for detaining
children and it should stop immediately.

"Yes, of course we need to do people's health and security checks but detaining children
simply because we haven't processed their claims yet is not appropriate," she said.

"People don't need to be detained in prison-like environments in detention camps.

"If Australia wanted to do the right thing, we would be setting up local, regionally
based reception centres on the Australian mainland."

She said these should not be prison-like facilities and people's claims should be processed
quickly so they are not being held long term.

AAP njl/apm

KEYWORD: POLL10 BOAT GREENS

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