26 Apr 2004

Senator says Australia should be expressing outrage over blocking of lawyers by Nauru

8:42 pm on 26 April 2004

The Australian Democrats say the Australian Government is aiding and abetting Nauru in refusing to allow lawyers representing asylum seekers into the country.

Democrats Leader Andrew Bartlett says the Australian government should be outraged by Nauru's refusal to admit the lawyers but was instead funding the near bankrupt island.

He says the Australian government should be expressing outrage, not sitting by, continuing to heavily fund a regime that allows the rule of law to be so blatantly undermined.

Senator Bartlett says Australian lawyers have been prevented from presenting their case about whether or not Australian taxpayers have been paying hundreds of millions of dollars to enable Nauru to illegally imprison asylum seekers.

He says it is utterly unacceptable that the Australian government is handsomely funding Nauru to show such contempt for Australians and for their own laws.