Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs
30 November 2008
Interview - Weekend Sunrise
COMPERE: Well, now to the very latest on Australians still in Mumbai and acting Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Crean, joins me now.
Good morning to you, Mr Crean. Now what's the situation for Aussies there? Not everyone is accounted for, is that right?
SIMON CREAN: No, not yet. But significantly we have accounted for 84 of the Australians that are known to be in the area. There are of course two additional that are dead. It's - we can't be precise about the figures of the actual Australians there because it requires very much on either our information, hotel registrations or the individual's registration but we do believe that we've accounted for almost all of them.
There could be a couple of others that we - that may emerge but at this stage we're very encouraged by not just the authorities regaining control of the Taj and who knows what they're going to find in there. That's the horror of it all as it unfolds, but we are also very pleased that we've been able to establish contact and the safety of a very large number of Australians who are there.
COMPERE: Yes, I suppose that is some good news. Mr Crean, we've seen a plane load of Aussies arrive home already but what are you doing for the Australians? What is the Government doing for Australians still stuck there?
CREAN: Well, rendering every assistance of course. Obviously those that want to come home, we're facilitating that. Qantas has put on extra capacity and people who want to return home, we're trying to facilitate that as quickly as possible to get them home to their loved ones.
We are also activating our disaster relief emergency facilities and that involves the counselling and already those who have arrived are getting debriefed and counselled as they arrive in Australia. We've set these facilities up in the four ports of entry that people are seeking to come home to. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. For those that have been affected psychologically or physically there is financial assistance available for them. Anyone who is still in Mumbai who wants to get out should contact either the airline or the consulate authorities and obviously for those who choose to stay our advice to them because we've revised our travel warning to India is to just stay in safe places and avoid any areas in which there are gatherings, protests, et cetera.
COMPERE: Mr Crean, just quickly before we go, there's been some criticisms about the Australian Government's response for Aussies in India. Some say there was a lack of support and information. How do you respond to that?
CREAN: Well, I think we have to accept that these were very difficult circumstances Sam. Not only was information very difficult to get precisely early. There were many people that were fearful. Contact was difficult. We had to operate on the basis of known contact.
But look, I think that the fact that we've now got to the point where nearly all the Australians who we needed to account for have been accounted for is testimony to the way in which the work has been done. Our High Commissioner was in Mumbai, our Consulate General, and I've also seen some very good reports of assistance.
These things are always going to get mixed reviews. I think the most important thing Sam is that the siege is over. It's been a terrible experience for those involved. Some of them will never get over this. But it has been an exercise in which we're starting to bring those Australians home safely to their families.
COMPERE: Okay. Simon Crean we have to leave it there but thanks very much for your time this morning.
CREAN: My pleasure.
[Ends]
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