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The 'Children Overboard' affair was an Australian political controversy. In October 2001, during the lead-up to a federal election, the Australian government repeatedly claimed that asylum seekers on a “Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel” (SIEV), intercepted by HMAS Adelaide off Christmas Island, had thrown a number of children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage onto Australian soil. The vessel, designated SIEV 4, was believed to be operated by people smugglers.
The claim was first made by Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock on 7 October 2001 (the day before writs for the 2001 federal election were issuedElection Dates (1901 to Present) - House of Representatives, Australian Electoral Commission). It was later repeated by other senior government ministers including Defence Minister Peter Reith and Prime Minister John Howard.Main Report - Executive Summary, Select Committee on a certain maritime incident
The government's handling of this and other recent events involving unauthorised arrivals worked in its favour. The Tampa incident had led the government to adopt stricter border protection measures to prevent unauthorised arrivals from reaching Australia by boat. Polls indicated the measures had public support. The government was able to portray itself as "strong" on border protection measures and opponents as "weak". In November 2001, the Liberal-National coalition was re-elected with an increased majority.
A Senate select committee inquiry later found that the "Children Overboard" claim was untrue and that the government knew this prior to the election. The government attracted criticism that it had misled the public and cynically "exploited voters' fears of a wave of illegal immigrants by demonising asylum-seekers".
While it remains uncertain whether sabotage caused SIEV 4 to sink^[1], in an interview for a book, ''The Howard Factor'', John Howard maintained "they irresponsibly sank the damn boat, which put their children in the water" and "they did sink the boat".They sank the boat, Howard says, George Megalogenis, The Australian, 27 February 2006

Contents

Senate inquiry findings

Scrafton revelations

References

External links

Senate inquiry findings

The Senate inquiry found that no children were thrown overboard from SIEV 4; that the evidence did not support the Children Overboard claim; and that the photographs purported to show children thrown into the sea were taken after SIEV 4 sank. In response, Howard said that he acted on the intelligence he was given at the time.
A dissenting report authored by government members of the Senate inquiry found that passengers aboard other SIEVs had threatened children, sabotaged their own vessels, committed self-harm and, in the case of SIEV-7 on 22 October, thrown a child overboard who was rescued by another asylum seeker.Government Members Report - Appendix I - The Pattern of Conduct, Select Committee on a certain maritime incident

Scrafton revelations

In August 2004, Michael Scrafton, a former senior advisor to Peter Reith, revealed that he told John Howard on 7 November 2001 that the Children Overboard claim was untrue.Mike Scrafton speaks live about children overboard affair. Transcript from interview by Catherine McGrath, ''The World Today'', ABC Radio (16 August, 2004) Howard said they only discussed the inconclusive nature of the video footage.^[2][3]
The Senate inquiry was reopened to hear Scrafton's testimony^[4] and subsequently found his claims to be credible.^[5] Government committee members questioned the reliability of Scrafton's testimony, including that he had spoken with Howard three times on the telephone when records showed that they spoke twice, and wrote a minority dissenting report challenging the finding.Government Senators' Report, Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence (9 December 2004)
Scrafton's revelation and the reopening of the inquiry occurred close to the announcement of the 2004 Federal election. The Children Overboard affair received widespread coverage and discussion within political and media circles and was a central theme of the Australian Labor Party's 2004 election campaign.Children overboard to dominate campaign, The Age (1 September 2004)Children overboard the most despicable of lies: Hawke. Kim Arlington, ''The Age'' (24 August 2004).

References

1. Truth overboard : the story that won't go away, SMH, David Marr, 28 Feb 2006
2. Howard pressured over 'children overboard' knowledge, Greg Jennett, ABC Lateline (16 August 2004)
3. ALP wants new kids overboard probe, ABC News, 16 August 2004
4. Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence, 9 December 2004
5. Senate inquiry finds Scrafton's children overboard evidence credible, The World Today, ABC Local Radio (9 December 2004)

External links

★ Australian Senate - Select Committee for an inquiry into a certain maritime incident

★ Main report of the Australian Senate select committee into a certain maritime incident

★ About 45 leaked Australian NAVY photographs of the kids overboard, being rescued by the sailors

★ Media releases by John Howard on the Scrafton claims

★ Truth Overboard — political website maintained by the Australian Labor Party.

★ Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence

★ "Scrafton and Howard locked in dispute over children overboard" (transcript), by Matt Brown: ''The World Today'' (ABC Local Radio), 1 September 2004.

★ "Indifference can be dangerous", by Shaun Carney: Sydney Morning Herald, 8 April 2002.