Rudd rejects PNG visit for asylum deal

The Australian

FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected a request from former Papua New Guinea prime minister Rabbie Namaliu that he to fly to Port Moresby to rescue the Gillard government's floundering asylum seeker deal.

A spokesman for the Foreign Minister said: "Mr Rudd has no plans to travel to PNG at the near future. The PNG leadership is currently focused on issues other than the proposal for a regional processing centre."

Sir Rabbie told The Australian on Sunday that last week's sacking of foreign minister Don Polye "put the relationship with Australia in a situation where nothing will happen on the asylum-seeker issue while Port Moresby's focus is on domestic politics".

He said the key to concluding the deal would be "for the Australian government to send someone senior to PNG -- and I think if Kevin Rudd came up, the proposal would be made to work".

He said that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal, who sacked Mr Polye for plotting to oust him from the top job, "had a very good relationship with Mr Rudd when he was foreign minister".

Mr Rudd had gained in-principle approval for the asylum seeker proposal from Prime Minister Michael Somare when he visited him in hospital in Singapore in April.

Sir Michael is still seriously ill and it is uncertain whether he will be able to resume the prime ministership.

Meanwhile, in PNG the sackings by Mr Abal of Mr Polye and petroleum and energy minister William Duma are continuing to provoke strong reactions.

Demonstrators marched in Mount Hagen in support of the sacked ministers, and a special meeting of the branch in Enga of the National Alliance party that Mr Abal leads claimed to have expelled him from his own party.

PNG Trade Union Congress general secretary John Paska urged Mr Abal to "stand firm and resolute in the face of adversity". "Now, more than ever, PNG needs strong, steady and courageous leadership, and Abal is the man at this hour and moment," he said.

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