The Liberal party covered itself in glory again, critical of the government spending money on flying a small number of refugees from the Christmas Island detention centre to Sydney to attend the funerals of relatives who drowned when their boat sank off Christmas Island late last year.

Family members of 12 of the victims live in Sydney and requested they be buried there.  The Department of Immigration confirmed it had paid for flights and one night’s accommodation for 22 immediate family members in detention at Christmas Island and Perth to attend the services.

Opposition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, yesterday attacked the government over the cost of transporting the mourners to Sydney.

”If people wanted to attend the funeral service from Sydney, for example, who may have been relatives of those who wanted these funeral services, well, they could have held the service on Christmas Island and like any other Australian who would have wanted to go to the funeral of someone close to them, they would have paid for themselves to get on a plane and go there.”

One of the Sydney based mourners was distressed at the suggestion her nephew be buried on Christmas Island because the family wanted to be able to visit his grave at Rookwood.  Not a totally unreasonable request.

And how were the detainees on Christmas Island meant to pay to travel to Sydney, Mr Morrison?  They’re not exactly working and earning incomes.

And what about just showing some plain old human decency?  These people experienced trauma themselves in the boat sinking, let alone what they have been through in their home countries before seeking asylum in Australia.  They’ve lost family and friends.  This country, to our total shame, treats these people like criminals – does it really hurt to be nice to them occasionally?

Obviously it does if you’re Scott Morrison.  Fiona Nash from the National Party also seems to agree:

"It’s not really an appropriate request I don’t believe for the government to say to the taxpayers of Australia, we want to pay for all of this.

Most of their colleagues seem to also share this opinion.  But to his credit, Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey does show he is a more reasonable man than most of his fellow party members:

"I would never seek to deny a parent or a child from saying goodbye to their relative.

"No matter what the colour of your skin, no matter what the nature of your faith, if your child has died or a father has died, you want to be there for the ceremony to say goodbye, and I totally understand the importance of this to those families."

Scott Morrison happens to be the MP for the seat of Cook, which includes the suburb of Cronulla – coincidence?  Clearly he is keen to represent the views many of his voters hold dearly.

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