Fed: Worth slips up with asylum seeker, dogs and cats analogy

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2004
Fed: Worth slips up with asylum seeker, dogs and cats analogy

CANBERRA, Aug 31 AAP - A Liberal MP fighting to keep her marginal seat has sparked
outrage for appearing to suggest asylum seekers require the same quarantine checks as
cats and dogs.

Trish Worth, who holds the seat of Adelaide by a wafer thin margin of just 0.6 per
cent, drew gasps and jeers from the audience when she made the comments at a public forum
on asylum seekers.

Called on to justify the government's policy of mandatory detention, the parliamentary
secretary told the crowd that she hated the thought of anyone being held in detention.

But she said there were "some very practical reasons" for that.

"I mean, if you bring a dog into this country or a cat from some countries ...." she
said, before being drowned out by a rumble of interjections from the audience.

"Look, can you just hear me out please. Can you just hear me out.

"There are certain tests to be carried out. There are health checks."

Ms Worth, a parliamentary secretary, was speaking at a forum organised by the group
Justice for Refugees, apparently held last week.

Her comments were recorded by community station Radio Adelaide and broadcast on ABC radio.

Forum convenor and Justice for Refugees chairman Dr Don McMaster said Ms Worth's comments
were disappointing.

"That relationship between animals going into quarantine and asylum seekers coming
into Australia and going into detention was most probably one of the worst analogies she
could make for the coalition party," he told ABC radio after the event.

"Immediately the audience thought she was equating asylum seekers to animals."

In the upcoming election, Ms Worth is pitted against Labor rookie Kate Ellis, a 26-year-old
ministerial adviser to SA Treasurer Kevin Foley.

Ms Ellis, who was also at the forum, said Ms Worth's remarks went to the heart of Liberal policy.

"This government has repeatedly shown us how uncaring they are," she said.

Ms Worth later said she meant no offence.

"I was making the point that if you bring anything live into the country there are
quarantine and border protection issues as far as imports are concerned," she said on
ABC radio.

"It would not enter my head to be referring to refugees or asylum seekers in that way.

AAP mb/tnf/pw

KEYWORD: POLL04 WORTH

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