Peter Dutton

This was the firm stance by Australia’s Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, following yesterday’s closure of the Manus Regional Processing Centre.

“The Coalition Government has had a clear and consistent policy since coming to office.”

Dutton says the Illegal Maritime Arrivals (IMAs) who are refusing to leave the RPC have been aware since May this year that the PNG authorities would close the RPC on the 31^st of October.

“Indeed the Government of Papua New Guinea indicated from mid-2016 that it would move to close the RPC.”

Mr Dutton's comments come in the wake of Prime Minister Turnbull confirming that the centre will close before the end of the year.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dutton said the government had been clear about the future of legitimate refugees from the start.

'Given that PNG is a signitory to the convention and to the protocols, they have responsibility to settle those people,' Mr Dutton said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last year announced two deals between the US and Australia, with the latter resettling refugees from Costa Rica while the US took in refugees from Manus Island and Nauru.

Mr Dutton has accused The Guardian and Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) of "trivialising" allegations relating to treatment of asylum seekers.

The Guardian last week published more than 2,000 leaked reports from the immigration centre on Nauru.

These revealed widespread abuse and trauma among asylum seekers.

His comments come as a Somali refugee remains in a Brisbane hospital after she and her newborn son were medically evacuated from Nauru in a critical condition.

Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Collective, said 22-year-old Naima Ahmed was 32 weeks pregnant when she underwent a caesarean section operation on Thursday.

The ABC understands Ms Ahmed has been taken off life support and her condition is slowing improving.

Mr Dutton said on Saturday there were "significant numbers of medical staff" on Nauru who provided care to asylum seekers in detention.

PNG's government announced two weeks ago that the controversial detention centre will close after the country's Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional.

Each country has argued that the other is responsible for those detained there.

Neither Australia nor PNG have followed the court decision, with both sides poised to ignore the Supreme Court ruling for months.

The minister, Peter Dutton, says talks between the two countries about what do have been constructive, but says a resolution will likely take a couple of months.

Hela Governor Anderson Pawa Agiru is dead

http://www.looppng.com/content/hela-governor-anderson-pawa-agiru-dead

Hela's favourite son and Governor Anderson Pawa Agiru died this morning at the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby.

Dutton told the ABC the Government was in discussions with parties other than Cambodia, which he said remained committed to resettlement despite "undermining" from refugee advocates.

“We're working and have been for a long period of time working on other bilateral options," he said.

“We have Cambodia available as an option and it is difficult when we've got probably well intentioned refugee advocates back here who are messaging up to these people on Nauru, saying 'don't accept any offer'.

Dutton had made the comments as he chatted to Prime Minister Tony Abbott Friday ahead of an event which appeared to be running late, quipping as a microphone hovered overhead that “time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to be, you know, have water lapping at your door”.

Abbott had just returned from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting between regional leaders in Papua New Guinea, where combating climate change was a key issue.

“I should have realised the mike was there and didn’t,” Dutton told Sky News.

The Immigration minister was Friday speaking with the country's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, who had just returned from the Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Papua New Guinea, where climate change was a key focus.

Noting that the meeting was running late, Dutton remarked that it was running to “Cape York time”, to which Abbott replied, “We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.”

Dutton then responded: “Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door,” to which both Dutton and Abbott laughed.