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. A political scandal is a scandal in which politicians or government officials engage in various illegal, corrupt, or unethical practices. ... Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel was the name used by the Australian Defence Force or Australian Coastwatch for maritime vessels that they suspected may have be attempting to reach Australia without authorisation. ... HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01) is an Australian Adelaide class guided-missile frigate laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipbuilding at Seattle, Washington 29 July 1977, launched 21 June 1978 and commissioned 15 November 1980. ... People smuggling is a term which is used to describe the illegal and organised smuggling of people across international boundaries, usually for financial gain. ...

The claim was first made by Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock on 7 October 2001 (the day before writs for the 2001 federal election were issued^[1]). It was later repeated by other senior government ministers including Defence Minister Peter Reith and Prime Minister John Howard.^[2][3] Philip Maxwell Ruddock (born March 12, 1943), Australian politician, is the Attorney-General of Australia in the Coalition Government of Australian Prime Minister John Howard. ... The Cabinet of Australia (whose members also serve in the Executive Council of Australia) is the council of senior ministers, responsible to parliament. ... Peter Keaston Reith, (born 15 July 1950), Australian politician, was a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard government. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ...

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. An unauthorised arrival is a person who has arrived in a country when they are not a citizen of that country, do not have a visa to enter that country, and have no possibility of entering by legal means. ... The MV Tampa is a Norwegian cargo ship that was at the centre of a diplomatic dispute between Australia, Norway, and Indonesia which began off the coast of Christmas Island in August 2001. ... Border control Border crossing between Germany and The Netherlands Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders. ... An unauthorised arrival is a person who has arrived in a country when they are not a citizen of that country, do not have a visa to enter that country, and have no possibility of entering by legal means. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 November 2001. ...

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".^[4] Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ...

While it remains uncertain whether sabotage caused SIEV 4 to sink^[5], 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".^[4]

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.^[3] In response, Howard said that he acted on the intelligence he was given at the time.

The report also noted 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.^[6] Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ... Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel was the name used by the Australian Defence Force or Australian Coastwatch for maritime vessels which were suspected to be attempting to reach Australia without authorisation. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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.^[7] Howard said they only discussed the inconclusive nature of the video footage.^[8][9] Michael Scrafton was a senior public servant in the Australian Department of Defence. ...

The Senate inquiry was reopened to hear Scrafton's testimony^[10] and subsequently found his claims to be credible.^[11] 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.^[12]

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.^[13][14] Legislative elections were held in Australia on 9 October 2004. ...

References

1. ^ Election Dates (1901 to Present) - House of Representatives, Australian Electoral Commission
2. ^ Brockie, Jenny (8 November 2001). John (jenny) Howard Interview. SBS Insight. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
3. ^ ^{a b} Main Report - Executive Summary, Select Committee on a certain maritime incident
4. ^ ^{a b} They sank the boat, Howard says, George Megalogenis, The Australian, 27 February 2006
5. ^ Truth overboard : the story that won't go away, SMH, David Marr, 28 Feb 2006
6. ^ Government Members Report - Appendix I - The Pattern of Conduct, Select Committee on a certain maritime incident
7. ^ Mike Scrafton speaks live about children overboard affair. Transcript from interview by Catherine McGrath, The World Today, ABC Radio (16 August, 2004)
8. ^ Howard pressured over 'children overboard' knowledge, Greg Jennett, ABC Lateline (16 August 2004)
9. ^ ALP wants new kids overboard probe, ABC News, 16 August 2004
10. ^ Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence, 9 December 2004
11. ^ Senate inquiry finds Scrafton's children overboard evidence credible, The World Today, ABC Local Radio (9 December 2004)
12. ^ Government Senators' Report, Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence (9 December 2004)
13. ^ Children overboard to dominate campaign, The Age (1 September 2004)
14. ^ Children overboard the most despicable of lies: Hawke. Kim Arlington, The Age (24 August 2004).

is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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.