| Australian Liberal MP Adam Giles in NT says Asylum Seekers are 'Scum' |
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 "..Opposition infrastructure spokesman Adam Giles later retracted this statement - and said it was a slip of the tongue. He said the attack was aimed at people smugglers. But the Territory Government has not accepted this explanation and believes Mr Giles was clearly attacking the asylum seekers. Mr Giles made the comments during a speech on Thursday night about the Federal Government's use of demountable houses - originally intended for short term accommodation in Alice Springs - to house asylum seekers on the overcrowded Christmas Island. .."Click here to view Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7HyQWM2X6U Full Text: NICK CALACOURAS October 16th, 2009
"So, the sting in the tail is we are taking potential dongas ... off disabled kids in Alice Springs to house scum, asylum seekers, in Christmas Island,'' he said in parliament. "We cannot house Territorians, we cannot support a disabled kid, but we can give accommodation to people traffickers over in Christmas Island. That is exactly what happened.'' Mr Giles said he misspoke and both of these comments were aimed at people smugglers. "If I put an `and' between 'scum' and 'asylum seekers', it would have made sense,'' he told the Northern Territory News. "My intention was to refer to people smugglers in the same way as the Prime Minister. He called them the vilest form of humanity and the scum of the Earth.'' But Deputy Chief Minister Delia Lawrie did not accept Mr Giles' explanation. "I have read the transcript. He was quite specific. He was referring to them being placed on Christmas Island. "The people traffickers are not placed on Christmas Island, they are put in prison,'' she said. Ms Lawrie said Mr Giles needed to apologise publicly and in parliament. "The Territory is proudly multicultural. We have refugees here, living among our community. We know that asylum seekers are not scum. The people who prey in their misery are scum. That's different.'' Mr Giles said he would take the opportunity to clarify his remarks in parliament on Monday. http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/10/16/93401_ntnews.html |
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