LABOR will talk to Nauru about reopening an asylum seeker processing centre there if the coalition agrees to pass the government’s amendment to the Migration Act without changes.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says the government will still pursue its people-swap deal with Malaysia but is willing to compromise on other offshore processing centres.
Labor had been adamant it would not reopen the centre in the tiny Pacific island nation that it closed after taking power in 2007.
But Mr Bowen said today the impasse over offshore processing had gone on for too long, and it was clear Opposition Leader Tony Abbott did not want to work out a deal with the government.
Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan will write to Mr Abbott with a formal proposal to end the deadlock.
The plan has been developed in consultation with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who is on holidays, and the cabinet.
“The opposition needs to support without amendment the government’s legislation to allow the government of the day to implement its policies … to implement offshore processing,” Mr Bowen told reporters in Newcastle.
“The government will continue to implement its agreement with the Malaysian government if that legislation is passed, which would break the people smugglers’ business model.
“As a complement to the Malaysia agreement, we are happy to engage with the government of Nauru to see if a processing centre can be developed on Nauru.”
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