George Christensen MP

Federal Member for Dawson

MEDIA STATEMENT

People smugglers should be treated as terror suspects

People smugglers should be treated like terror suspects so the federal police can exercise greater detention and search powers when dealing with them, according to the Liberal National Partys Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen. The call comes three days after people smuggling kingpin Abu Khalid, also known as Captain Emad, was knowingly allowed to exit the country. Human filth like Captain Emad pose a risk to national security by running operations which seek to breach our borders, Mr Christensen said. Theyre effectively undermining our security and should be treated no differently to terrorists under the law. Mr Christensen said if the various sections of the Crimes Act relating to terrorists had incorporated suspected people smugglers, then the AFP would have been able to detain Captain Emad and prevented his departure. The anti-terror laws we currently have on the books, if applied to suspected people smugglers, would not only have seen Captain Emad detained but it would give the federal police greater search powers to get the proof they need to charge these fleas with, Mr Christensen said. On top of that, once theyre in the court process, the onus of proof is reversed in regards to bail, so they have to prove they arent people smugglers before theyre released into the community again. Mr Christensen said he believed a hard line was needed to deal with people smugglers to stem the tsunami of illegal immigrants that had made their way to Australia under the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments. The Member for Dawson is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and the Federal Parliamentary National Party.
ENDS: Friday, June 8, 2012 For more information phone George on 0749440662

PO Box 1697, Mackay Qld 4740 |

07 4944 0662 |

george.christensen.mp@aph.gov.au